Some lawyers staged a walkout from a concert hosted by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) due to the invitation of a controversial singer, Portable, as the guest artiste.
The concert tagged “Unbarred” was held at the Velodrome, MKO Abiola Stadium in Abuja as part of the NBA Annual General Conference.
Anticipation was high among the lawyers as they waited for the event to commence in the early hours of Thursday.
However, their enthusiasm turned to astonishment and disappointment when Portable was unveiled as the headline performer, set to grace the stage at what was billed as the grandest closing party in NBA-AGC history.
The appearance of Portable on stage followed a brief speech by NBA President Yakubu Maikyau.
However, this choice was met with skepticism and objection from many of the lawyers present, who voiced their dissatisfaction with the Zazu singer.
Consequently, a significant number of lawyers opted to exit the event in protest.
Around 1 am, the protesting lawyers could be observed leaving the stadium, either on foot or in their vehicles.
One lawyer communicated their frustration to QEDNG during the walkout, stating, “How dare they call Portable to come and play for lawyers at the conference? Can you imagine? Normally, Unbarred doesn’t end till 3am or 4am but we are leaving for our hotels. We are so upset.”
Another lawyer expressed discontent, commenting, “They spoilt my day with this Zazu. He couldn’t even wear a shirt.”
“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,” another lawyer said.
Despite the walkout, some lawyers remained to watch Portable’s performance. Videos circulating on social media show the shirtless singer climbing on equipment within the stadium.
“Unbarred” is a live concert specially organized for lawyers as a part of the annual NBA conference, held a day before the association’s yearly general meeting.
Previous editions have featured performances by acclaimed artists such as 2baba, Wande Coal, Teni, Bez, Brymo, Duncan Mighty, Nini, Falz, Olamide, and Ruger.
Watch the videos below:
Na portable nba give us, ati fi owo pe werey 😂 #nbaconference pic.twitter.com/72KI9dBA58
— D1 (@d1Dlaw) August 30, 2023
Portable at the NBA Conference.🤦🏽♂️. pic.twitter.com/lirGT8h62p
— Chijioke Ifediora (@CjIfediora) August 31, 2023
https://twitter.com/UncleCCA/status/1697035796585259239?s=20
na portable NBA invite for national law week😭💀 pic.twitter.com/SIWcG1ouck
— Osakpọlọ 📚🎙️ (@itzosakpolo) August 31, 2023
KanyiDaily recalls that Nigerian disc jockey, DJ Chicken had expressed his doubts about the financial status of Portable, saying the singer would go broke if he spend money like him.