A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr. Monday Onyekachi Ubani, has condemned the Nigerian Bar Association over the quality of materials and organisation of the ongoing 66th Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, describing the event as “dangerously close to a circus show.”
In an interim assessment of the conference, Ubani criticised the conference bag, which he said resembled that of “an ordinary market woman’s bag,” rather than reflecting the dignity and intellectual character of the largest gathering of lawyers in Africa.
He also faulted the quality and suitability of some guests invited to address the conference, arguing that the NBA must preserve the intellectual dignity and professional character of its annual gathering.
“The NBA Annual General Conference is a serious professional and intellectual gathering. It cannot and should not be converted into a circus show,” Ubani stated.
He said: “Lawyers are peculiar in every respect, and the NBA Annual General Conference is a serious professional and intellectual gathering. It cannot and should not be converted into a circus show.”
The Senior Advocate also raised concerns about the conference’s organisation, including the absence of properly arranged tea break venues, poorly managed lunch arrangements, and uncomfortably hot halls that were unconducive for serious intellectual engagement.
“A lawyer who is struggling with heat, hunger, congestion and confusion cannot fully concentrate on the quality of discourse taking place around him or her,” he said.
𝐕𝐃𝐌 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞
Spear News Nigeria reports that the conference has been embroiled in controversy following the invitation of social media personality Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, as a panellist .
VDM’s participation in a plenary session on insecurity drew sharp criticism from many lawyers who questioned why a social media influencer was given a platform at the association’s premier intellectual gathering.
A Rivers State local government chairman, Dr Chidi Julius Lloyd, a former law lecturer, described the invitation as inappropriate, arguing that the NBA’s annual conference should be dedicated to serious legal discourse .
“It is deeply disappointing that the NBA Annual Conference, which should feature renowned legal luminaries, senior advocates, judges and policy experts, is now being reduced to an avenue for clout, content creation and social media theatrics,” Lloyd said .
Gbenga Babawibe, a lawyer from the Ikeja NBA branch, also condemned the invitation, writing that VDM is “a highly controversial figure whose public persona is built on sensationalism and a blatant disregard for legal boundaries” .
“The NBA AGC is not a pop-culture convention. It is not a platform meant to validate social media idiosyncrasies, nor is it an avenue for the Association to jump on trending individuals or fleeting internet controversies for cheap clout,” Babawibe added.
Defending the invitation
VDM responded to the criticism, insisting he was not at the conference to teach lawyers but to share his experiences on insecurity.
“There has been a lot of debate about why I was invited to this NBA conference. I’m not here to teach you people law; I’m here to share experience,” he said .
“This is not a topic of ‘may I, my lord’ because your lords are being kidnapped,” he added, referencing the recent abduction of a judge .
Fiery debates at the conference
The conference also witnessed heated exchanges among political figures, including Omoyele Sowore, Rotimi Amaechi, and Peter Obi, who clashed over fuel subsidy and governance .
Sowore launched a direct attack on mainstream politicians, accusing them of shifting positions on subsidy removal . Amaechi fired back, telling Sowore to “Stop lying” and defending his record as former Rivers State governor .
Call for reform
Ubani, in his interim report, called on the incoming NBA President to raise standards and ensure that future conferences reflect the best of the Nigerian legal profession.
“If we genuinely desire to attract decent and serious-minded members of the Bar to the Annual General Conference, which remains the largest gathering of lawyers in Africa, then we must raise our standards,” he said.
“We must plan better. We must organise better. We must select our guests with greater care. We must prioritise intellectual substance over unnecessary spectacle.”
He also called for investment in purpose-built convention centres across the country to accommodate the growing number of attendees.
The conference continues until Friday, with the formal inauguration of Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, as the 33rd NBA President scheduled to take place.
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