The Coalition of Ijaw Interest Groups (CIIG)
AN URGENT CALL FOR RESTORATION OF CONSTITUTIONAL ORDER IN THE IJAW NATIONAL CONGRESS
3 MAY 2026
The Coalition of Ijaw Interest Groups (CIIG) condemn in very strong terms happenings in Ijaw Nation, with specific reference to the recent show of shame called election into the exalted voices of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), as a particularly troubling reality.
We categorically affirm that what transpired on 13 April 2026, by any credible constitutional or moral standard, cannot and must not be upheld as a legitimate electoral outcome.
As has been rightly observed in several quarters, voting is not election; it is merely one event within a broader process that must be grounded on procedural integrity, fairness, and institutional legitimacy.
Where the process itself is fundamentally flawed – riddled with requalification, and subsisting litigation. The outcome of such a flawed process can only be qualified as being illegitimate.
Such a body cannot chart the ship of Ijaw Nation. These challenges and the blatant conflict of interest within the electoral body underscore a simple but inescapable truth: Ijaw Nation is in a contrived situation imposed in defiance of reason, justice and truth which Ijaw stands for.
We totally condemn the deliberate disregard for the authority of the National Conference of Ijaw Traditional Rulers and Elders (N-CITRE), the constitutionally recognised ultimate dispute resolution organ of INC. This strikes at the very foundation of institutional order within the Congress, and Ijaw Nation in general.
N-CITRE’s Resolution of 10 April 2026, which unequivocally suspended all electoral processes, was neither ambiguous nor concealed. The defiance by the current National Executive Council (NEC) and the electoral committee of the N-CITRE directive suspending the election represents not only a procedural breach but a profound constitutional violation.
When those entrusted with upholding the rules instead arrogate to themselves both executive and judicial authority, the result is institutional anarchy masquerading as governance.
It is therefore imperative to state, without equivocation, that the so-called election must be reversed in its entirety. There can be no legitimacy built upon illegality, no unity founded on exclusion, and no progress anchored in the erosion of due process. The current moment demands not defensive rationalisation but moral courage to do the right thing. As well-meaning patriots, elders and leaders within Ijaw Nation have emphasised: it is not too late to turn back from the wrong direction.
True leadership is not measured by stubborn persistence in error, but by the willingness to correct course in the interest of institutional integrity. Accordingly, we align with other voices of reason that the only viable path forward is an immediate return to N-CITRE’s directive. N-CITRE has full authority and responsibility to restore order and reset the entire electoral process in accordance with constitutional provisions.
NEC should immediately suspend the president, Prof. Benjamin Ogele Okaba for acting with impunity, serial violation of the constitution and disrespect for constituted authority (N-CITRE). We also call for the immediate disbandment of the N-ELECO chaired by HRM Justice F F Tabai for serial breaches of the INC Constitution and disrespect for constituted authority (N-CITRE).
The President’s and the N-ELECO’s pattern of misconduct is clear – from the disregard of constitutional provisions, clear directive from N-CITRE, to the enabling of a compromised electoral process, and the failure to safeguard institutional credibility. These are not isolated lapses but systemic breaches that have brought the Congress into disrepute.
NEC must act to halt the continuation of crises initiated by the current president and Chairman of N-ELECO that now threatens the cohesion of Ijaw Nation compromised with conflicting resolutions by its leadership and illegal appointments of a new NRC leadership by the president, Prof. Benjamin Ogele Okaba.
Furthermore, we call on Ijaws globally to exercise restraint and refrain from actions capable of deflecting attention from these disgraceful conducts striking at the core of our collective existence as a people. This is not a moment for barasin or for silence, resignation, or complicity. It is time for Gbadai – the principled resistance, clarity of purpose, and collective resolve which defines the Ijaw spirit. The timely momentum surging from all quarters calling for accountability reflects a deeper struggle over the soul of Ijaw Nation itself at this critical juncture in Nigeria’s history. The disgraceful conducts of these officials of INC, if left unchecked, risks rendering the INC incapable of fulfilling its historic mandate.
Accordingly, without equivocation, we condemn in the strongest possible terms, those who enable the calculated effort to hijack the INC for narrow political ends, particularly in anticipation of the 2027 electoral cycle. The manipulation of internal processes, the sidelining of traditional authority, and the erosion of constitutional order point to interests that extend beyond the welfare of the Ijaw Nation. These crafty and devious individuals, who thrive in confusion, exploit division, and profit from institutional decay, to remain relevant must desist forthwith. They must be firmly resisted by all well-meaning Ijaws.
The INC cannot and must not be reduced to a platform for opportunistic politicking at the expense of its collective mission of resource control and self-determination.
At this critical juncture, the choice before the Ijaw Nation is stark – to acquiesce in the normalisation of intimidation and illegitimacy, or to reclaim its institutions through truth, justice, equity, and fairness. We choose the latter. We therefore make this call for action to all Ijaw men, women, and youth to reject the sham election. People should refrain from recognising any impostor emerging therefrom.
All effort should be made to restore constitutional order, and reaffirm N-CITRE as the ultimate dispute resolution organ of INC. Only through such decisive steps can the INC recover its credibility, preserve its unity, and reposition itself as a true representative of the Ijaw Nation. History beckons on us again. The time for hesitation has passed. The time for principled action is now – let us Gbadai!
