The Bayelsa State Police Command has deployed police officers to tave taken over the Ijaw House, in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, following the confusion trailing the Ijaw National Congress (INC) election.
It would be recalled that the Chairman of Ijaw Traditional Rulers and Elders (CITRE), King Bubaraye Dakolo Agada IV, Ibenanaowei of Ekpetiama Kingdom, and Chairman of Bayelsa Traditional Rulers Council, had on Sunday, said that the INC elections in the state will amount to an exercise in futility.
He therefore, reiterated the position of CITRE that the election to choose new leaders for the INC be postponed.
However, both the board of trustees of the INC and President of the organization, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, insisted on going ahead with the election as scheduled for today, April 13, 2026.
The BOT Chairman, Alabo Dumo Lulu-Briggs had stated while briefing newsmen after a marathon four- hour inaugural meeting of the body held in Yenagoa, that the BOT is in tandem with the INC leadership to proceed with the election.
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Lulu-Briggs, who is the head of Oruwari Briggs war canoe house in Abonnema, Rivers State, also stated that voting might be done either physically or electronically as there is no going back on conducting the polls.
It would be recalled that election into the INC earlier scheduled for March 7 was suspended following legal disputes and an interim injunction granted by a Rivers State High Court on March 6, over the alleged disqualification of some candidates as a result of a suit filed by one of the contenders, Macdonald Igbadiwei.
President of the INC, Prof Okaba had in a reaction to a purported suspension of the April 13 poll by the Council of Ijaw Traditional Rulers and Elders (CITRE) an organ of the INC, said that the CITRE was under his leadership.
Prof. Okaba had dismissed Dakolo’s assertion that CITRE is empowered by the INC constitution to intervene in the event of any crisis to restore normalcy, saying “I am the president and leader of Ijaw nation.
” The national convention is the highest body and in that body we also have CITRE as a subset, zonal chairmen and all that, and when the convention holds I preside over the CITRE chairman.
“That is true; in fact, meetings of CITRE are authorized by me, it is constitutional.
“You can see that what he is doing is ill intended and it is for the advancement of personal interest and it is being for both selfish and destructive purposes that is just the truth.”
It remains to be seen if the election will hold and whether the outcome will bind the Ijaw nation stronger or put a wedge into the once formidable organization.
