ABUJA, Nigeria – Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has harshly criticised the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) for its opposition to the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.
Wike accused the NBA of being motivated by financial interests, alleging that the association had been promised sponsorship for its annual general conference by the Rivers State government.
Wike made these comments on Friday, March 28, 2025, during a visit by officials from the Body of Benchers, led by the chairman, Adegboyega Awomolo, in Abuja.
In a statement that sparked further controversy, Wike claimed that the NBA’s stance against the state of emergency was driven by the potential loss of funding for their conference.
“The NBA is against the state of emergency because there would be no money to give them for their conference. What kind of hypocrisy is this?” Wike said.
He went on to accuse members of the NBA and other legal professionals of publicly criticising Supreme Court rulings without even reading the full judgments.
Wike described this trend as “unfortunate” and urged the Body of Benchers to impose disciplinary measures on those who engage in such practices.
“Some NBA members go on national television to condemn judgments without even reading them! If you don’t discipline somebody, nobody will learn any lesson,” he said.
Wike’s comments were pointed, as he expressed disbelief that fellow lawyers would criticise their own profession.
“We shall no longer allow our profession to be pulled down. I cannot believe, as a lawyer, that you make a contribution to help the legal profession and you will be criticised by your fellow lawyers,” he added.
The FCT minister also accused the NBA of hypocrisy, claiming that the association had no issue accepting financial assistance from the executive branch of government in the past, yet now frames similar support for the judiciary as bribery.
“I was the only one who contributed to the NBA to build the national secretariat. The NBA didn’t see it as a bribe,” Wike pointed out.
He continued, “When you contribute to the Body of Benchers, it is a bribe, but when you contribute to the NBA, it is not a bribe—they will take it! The same NBA will rely on state governments to sponsor their activities, but when the state government supports the judiciary, it is bribery.”
