Lawyers attending the annual general conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Abuja were met with unexpected controversy as a group stormed out of the venue early on Thursday.
The cause of the upheaval? The announcement of street artiste Portable as a guest performer during the event.
The conference, dubbed ‘Unbarred’, took place at the Velodrome, MKO Abiola Stadium.
The gathering commenced with a brief speech by NBA president Yakubu Maikyau and music from a DJ to entertain the legal professionals.
However, tensions escalated once the controversial singer Portable took the stage.
Indignant at the inclusion of Portable, many lawyers expressed their dismay at the choice of the Zazu singer and chose to leave the event in protest.
Around 1 am, a noticeable number of lawyers were spotted exiting the stadium either on foot or in vehicles.
One of the disgruntled lawyers conveyed their frustration to the press, stating, “How dare they call Portable to come and play for lawyers at the conference? Can you imagine? Normally, Unbarred doesn’t end till 3 am or 4 am but we are leaving for our hotels. We are so upset.”
Another lawyer added, “They spoilt my day with this Zazu. He couldn’t even wear a shirt.”
While some lawyers decided to leave in response to the situation, another attendee attributed their departure to sheer fatigue, saying, “I also left, but it was largely due to the fact that I was tired. Many of the conferees were unhappy that Portable was invited.”
In contrast, there were lawyers who chose to remain at the event and watch the performance by the controversial artiste. Videos began circulating on social media, depicting Portable without a shirt, energetically climbing some of the equipment at the stadium during his performance.
The incident marked a stark division of opinions within the legal community gathered at the NBA conference.
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