A coalition of respected Ijaw figures has urged the leadership of the Ijaw National Congress (INC) to strictly abide by the organisation’s constitution as tensions continue to surround its electoral process.
The group, comprising traditional rulers, academics, retired military officers and civil society advocates, made the call on Friday, stressing that the supremacy of the INC constitution must guide every step of the ongoing election arrangements.
The coalition, drawn from across the Niger Delta and Ijaw communities in the diaspora, made its position known in a joint statement endorsed by more than 30 stakeholders. The statement was led by Chief Bukazi Etete, Elder Roland Ekperi, High Chief Amagbe Denzil Kentebe, and Dame Ann Kio Briggs, among others.
In the communiqué, the leaders appealed to the electoral authorities overseeing the process to ensure that “every procedural step complies strictly with constitutional provisions.”
They also called on traditional rulers and respected elders within the Ijaw nation to serve as “guardians of fairness, wisdom, and institutional balance,” while urging Ijaw people around the world to remain “peaceful, vigilant, and unwavering” in their support for constitutional governance.
According to the group, stable societies address disputes through “principled institutions,” reiterating their support for credible elections, unity within the INC and equal rights for all qualified aspirants.
“Our objective is not confrontation, but correction. Not factional victory, but institutional legitimacy,” the group stated.
The coalition, however, cautioned that undermining the INC constitution could weaken the organisation’s credibility and its ability to represent the collective interests of the Ijaw people effectively.
Other signatories to the statement include Prof. Mondy Sele Gold, Dr. Mrs. Timiebi Koripamo Agary, Rear Admiral Godwin Ayankpele (Rtd), Maj. Gen. Paul Alaowei Toun (Rtd) and Hon. Iniruo Wills.
The leaders concluded their appeal with a call for strict adherence to the organisation’s rules, declaring: “Let the Constitution stand. Let the rules be respected. Let justice guide the process.”
The development follows controversy that erupted after some aspirants were disqualified from contesting various positions in the 2026 INC elections scheduled for March 7 by the electoral committee chaired by Justice F.F. Tabai (Rtd).
The committee later reversed its earlier decision that excluded the affected candidates, a move that heightened tensions within the INC, the foremost pan-Ijaw socio-cultural body advocating for the interests of the Ijaw ethnic nationality in the oil-rich Niger Delta.
Amid the dispute, a Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt on March 6 issued an injunction restraining the INC from conducting the election pending the hearing and determination of a suit filed by aggrieved parties.
