Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri has formally closed his reconciliation efforts in the Ijaw National Congress (INC) with a mega unity reception held at the Ijaw House in Yenagoa.
The well-attended event brought together leaders of the Ijaw ethnic nationality, stakeholders and contestants in the disputed April 2025 INC election that produced the High Chief MacDonald Igbadiwe leadership.
The inauguration of the Igbadiwe-led executive in Warri, Delta State, outside the traditional Ijaw House in Yenagoa had generated controversy that threatened the cohesion of the foremost socio-cultural organisation of the Ijaw nation before Governor Diri intervened by constituting a reconciliation committee chaired by former Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Dr Mathew Seiyefa.
At the unity reception, the governor urged stakeholders to bury the hatchet in the interest of the unity and cohesion of the ethnic group.
He also called on the new INC leadership to unify the people and build an institution that would protect the identity of the Ijaw nationality.
Senator Diri said the Ijaws must rise and speak with one voice that commands a seat at every table where Nigeria’s destiny is decided. He stressed that they must act together in shaping decisions that affect their future.
He challenged the INC to move beyond rivalries, narrow interests and old divisions, emphasising that the collective glory of the Ijaw nation must come before personal ambition.
“This powerful gathering tells Nigeria, Africa and the world that the unity, solidarity and indivisibility of the Ijaw nation are non-negotiable,” the governor said.
“Most Ijaw people cherish and will defend this sacred unity. When we stand together with shared purpose and destiny, no force can weaken us. The Ijaw nation stands at a critical crossroads and must embrace the responsibility of unity.
“We must understand what is at stake. If we fail to act together, others will decide our future without us. We will live with their decisions instead of helping shape them. The time to organise is now. Our relevance, resources, dignity and shared future depend on what we do today.”
Acknowledging the Igbadiwe-led INC, Diri, popularly known as the Governor-General of the Ijaw Nation, maintained that this was not a time for division but a time for unity.
He said every son and daughter under the INC must rise above narrow interests and unite for their dignity, destiny and greater glory.
Chairman of the event and former deputy governor of Rivers State, Sir Gabriel Toby, lauded the Bayelsa governor for his timely intervention in resolving the leadership crisis. He also praised Dr Seiyefa and other members of the reconciliation committee for their selfless efforts.
Sir Toby charged the INC president to be a team player, work effectively to represent the collective interest of the Ijaw nation and embrace issues that promote peace, unity and progress.
The Ibenanaowei of Ekpetiama Kingdom, King Bubaraye Dakolo, who is chairman of the Bayelsa State Council of Traditional Rulers and also chairman of the Conference of Ijaw Traditional Rulers and Elders (CITRE), an INC advisory body, encouraged Igbadiwe to see his position as a call to service and to unite all zones of the Congress.
“So, today, you are bestowed as the chief servant to ensure that no piece of Ijaw land, no piece of Ijaw property, no Ijaw man, no Ijaw woman is mistreated in any part of the entire globe. That is why you are president worldwide,” the monarch said.
In his remarks, the INC President, High Chief MacDonald Igbadiwe, a former lawmaker in the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, expressed gratitude to Governor Diri for not allowing the INC to disintegrate under his watch.
He assured that the INC would work with the governor, other leaders, traditional rulers, youth bodies and relevant stakeholders towards actualising the mandate of the Ijaw nation.
Dignitaries at the ceremony included Bayelsa Deputy Governor, Dr Peter Akpe; serving and former lawmakers from the state; former Bayelsa deputy governors, Rt. Hon. Peremobowei Ebebi and Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John-Jonah (rtd); former deputy governor of Delta State, Deacon Kingsley Otuaro; and Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abraham Ingobere, represented by the Leader of the House, Rt. Hon. Monday Bubou.
Also present were the National Chairman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, Dr Boladei Igali; Dr Mathew Seiyefa; Chairman of Tantita Security Services Limited, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo; the Pere of Tuomo Kingdom and retired Justice of the Supreme Court, King Francis Tabai; the Amanyanabo of Bolo Kingdom in Rivers State, Sir Acheseinimie Frank; and other traditional rulers.
Others in attendance included Mrs Juliana Oguara, Vice Chairman of the INC in the United States of America
