The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), has faulted the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) for relocating its 2025 Annual General Conference from Port Harcourt to Enugu, describing the reasons given as “misleading and uncharitable.”

In a statement issued Monday by his media aide, Hector Igbikiowubo, Ibas stated that while the NBA reserves the right to choose its venue, it has yet to address the refund of N300 million paid by the Rivers State Government for hosting rights.

He criticized the NBA’s claim that the state’s current administration undermines democracy, insisting that the Sole Administrator’s role, backed by constitutional authority and a Supreme Court ruling, is to stabilize the state and restore democratic governance.

Ibas urged the NBA to engage constructively, rather than promote political sensationalism, emphasizing that Rivers State is undergoing a necessary democratic transition.