Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has criticised the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association over the recently concluded NBA conference in Port Harcourt, accusing the association of allowing politics to overshadow issues affecting the legal profession.
Wike described the conference as a “flop”, saying the NBA should be more concerned about the state of the legal profession and the rule of law instead of giving political figures a platform to campaign and discuss politics.
The FCT minister took particular exception to the appearance of former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, who is now the African Democratic Congress vice-presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
According to Wike, it was difficult for him to understand why the NBA would invite someone he accused of undermining the judiciary during his time as Rivers State governor to speak at an event centred on the legal profession.
Wike alleged that Amaechi’s administration shut down the courts in Rivers State for an extended period, claiming that the situation became so serious that a pregnant woman was forced to give birth in prison because her case could not be heard.
He argued that the NBA should have considered the implications of giving such a person a prominent platform at a conference where lawyers were expected to discuss the rule of law and the future of justice in Nigeria.
The attack has revived the long-running political rivalry between Wike and Amaechi, two former governors of Rivers State whose relationship has remained deeply strained for years.
Amaechi, who served as Rivers governor from 2007 to 2015, is now part of the opposition coalition seeking to challenge President Bola Tinubu in 2027, while Wike remains a member of the PDP serving in Tinubu’s Federal Executive Council.
Amaechi also featured prominently at the NBA conference, where he took part in discussions on the 2027 election and challenged Nigerians to judge political candidates by their records rather than ethnic or regional considerations.
Wike’s criticism of the conference was therefore not limited to the invitation of Amaechi, as he questioned the direction of the NBA leadership and what he believed should be its legacy.
He said an organisation representing lawyers should be particularly careful about the people it gives public platforms to, especially when questions about their past record on the judiciary and rule of law remain subjects of political debate.
The FCT minister also turned his attention to the emerging Atiku Abubakar-Rotimi Amaechi political combination, arguing that the ticket faces serious challenges ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Wike said former Vice President Atiku Abubakar could struggle to secure enough support in the South if President Tinubu performs strongly in the North, suggesting that the regional calculations could work against the ADC ticket.
He has also repeatedly questioned Atiku’s chances of winning the presidency, particularly because of the former vice president’s age, political history and the difficulty of building a broad national coalition against an incumbent president.
The comments come at a time when Atiku, Peter Obi, Rabiu Kwankwaso and other opposition figures are involved in efforts to build a stronger political platform ahead of 2027.
The opposition coalition has attracted several major political figures, but disagreements over leadership, presidential ambition and the best candidate to challenge Tinubu remain important issues.
Wike believes those internal differences could make it difficult for the opposition to present a united and convincing alternative to the APC.
His latest comments also come after Amaechi and activist Omoyele Sowore clashed during the NBA conference over issues including fuel subsidy, governance and the records of former public officials.
For Wike, however, the bigger issue is what he sees as a contradiction between the NBA’s responsibility to defend the rule of law and its decision to provide a platform for politicians he believes have questionable records on the subject.
The controversy has now pushed the NBA conference beyond the legal profession and into the wider political debate ahead of the 2027 election.
With Wike continuing to defend Tinubu’s administration and attack the opposition’s emerging political arrangement, his latest remarks show that the battle for 2027 is already producing sharp exchanges among former allies, rivals and members of competing political camps.