Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has accused the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) of accepting an unappropriated ₦300 million donation from the Rivers State Government, describing it as an “illegal gift.”
Speaking at a media parley in Abuja, Wike, who is a member of the NBA himself, claimed the association solicited and received funds that lacked proper budgetary approval. “You took ₦300 million and said it’s a gift. There was no appropriation,” Wike stated.
The minister questioned the NBA’s credibility in criticizing President Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State after accepting funds from the state government. He alleged the money came through “some area of Nigeria who is close to the chairman of the NBA,” and was linked to the NBA’s plans to host its annual general conference in Port Harcourt. 
Wike contrasted this with his own budgetary practices while governor, stating, “In my budget, I put grants. I’m allowed by law.” He further suggested the NBA’s stance on the Rivers State emergency declaration was influenced by this financial transaction, claiming they never criticized a court judgment until after receiving the gift.
The NBA has previously stated that the funds were a gift rather than payment for hosting rights, but Wike dismissed this explanation, warning that “there are some gifts that will kill you.”
In the same media chat, Wike expressed dissatisfaction with President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, where he served as governor before Siminalayi Fubara took office. Tinubu declared the emergency last month, citing political instability and security threats, including pipeline explosions. The president suspended Governor Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and all Rivers House of Assembly members for six months, appointing retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as sole administrator for an initial six-month period.
Wike, who admitted to wanting Fubara’s outright removal, described the governor’s position as “untenable” before Tinubu’s intervention. “The governor was gone. He was gone, yes… so when people say the president did this, I say they should be praising him,” Wike said, suggesting Tinubu’s actions prevented anarchy. However, he voiced frustration as a politician, stating, “I am not happy with the declaration of Emergency Rule in Rivers State.”
The minister also questioned why Fubara has not reached out to resolve their ongoing feud, which stems from a struggle for control over Rivers’ political and structural resources. The conflict has fractured the state’s House of Assembly, with 27 suspended members defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the emergence of factional speakers and a parallel assembly.
Wike praised Tinubu’s intervention for averting further crisis but maintained that Fubara’s failure to engage him as an elder statesman shows a lack of initiative to resolve the rift. “Has he ever called me to say, ‘What is the problem? Let us sit down and talk?’” Wike remarked.
