A member of the House of Representatives from Rivers State, Solomon Bob, has taken a swipe at the Nigerian Bar Association over its condemnation of the recent state of emergency declared in Rivers State, accusing the legal body of hypocrisy, insincerity, and overt political bias.
Bob also demanded the immediate return of N300 million allegedly paid by the Rivers State Government to the NBA for its annual conference, which had initially been scheduled to hold in Port Harcourt.
Describing the NBA’s justification that the N300 million was a “gift” from the state government as “unreasonable and unbecoming of a self-appointed ombudsman,” the federal lawmaker insisted the funds must be refunded.
“The NBA cannot circumscribe or amend the clear, untrammelled and discretionary powers granted to the President by Section 305 of the Constitution,” Bob stated.
He said, “Neither is the NBA in a position to interpret or determine what measures qualify as extraordinary — which the President is required to adopt under the same section.”
The lawmaker’s harsh criticism followed a statement issued by the NBA on Thursday, April 10, in which the association denounced President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s March 18 proclamation of a state of emergency in Rivers State, describing it as unconstitutional and politically motivated.
In a counter-statement made available to journalists in Abuja on Thursday, Bob defended the President’s decision, citing the deteriorating political climate in Rivers State, which he attributed to the lingering conflict between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Martin Amaewhule-led House of Assembly, which is widely seen as loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike.
According to him, the situation had reached a critical point, with the threat of a renewed impeachment process, rising incidents of violence, and even sabotage of petroleum infrastructure. He said these events necessitated the federal intervention to prevent a total breakdown of law and order.
Bob criticised the NBA for what he called selective activism and questioned its legitimacy to offer democratic guidance, alleging the association itself does not adhere to democratic values.
He added that the NBA has no moral or constitutional authority to lecture the government on upholding democracy and insisted that its recent positions reflect a partisan agenda rather than objective legal opinion.
The lawmaker maintained that the NBA’s handling of both its internal affairs and its public interventions betrays a lack of neutrality, and warned that such conduct undermines its credibility in the eyes of Nigerians.
