The Ijaw National Congress has slammed the Nigerian Supreme Court’s decision in the lingering Rivers political crisis, in which the apex court recognised the martin amaewhule faction, loyal to FCT minister Nyesom Wike, as the authentic Rivers Assembly.
The INC President, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, in a statement issued on Monday evening warned against any attempt to impeach the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, stressing that it cannot guarantee the peace of the Niger Delta region.
The body said it was capable of plunging the entire region into crisis.
Prof Okaba stated that any attempt to undermine the office of Governor Fubara would have dire consequences for national peace and economic stability, especially in the crude oil and gas-rich region.
“If Governor Fubara’s tenure is truncated by the Martin Amaewhule-led Assembly or anybody else, the INC cannot guarantee the sustenance of the current peace in the Niger Delta, nor the continued rise in oil production—a veiled warning of potential disruptions in the region’s petroleum industry,” Prof Okaba threatened.
He recalled the crucial role Ijaw people have played in shaping the state’s leadership for decades.
He said, “In 1999, an Ijaw leader, Chief Marshall Harry, was instrumental in securing the Peoples Democratic Party ticket for Dr. Peter Odili, despite a formidable challenge from Sergeant Awuse.
“Harry further ensured Odili’s victory against a Kalabari opponent, Chief Ebenezer Isokariari of the All Peoples Party.
“In 2003, the INC recalled that when Marshall Harry backed Sergeant Awuse’s governorship ambition, it was not Awuse but Harry himself who was assassinated, marking a painful loss for the Ijaw people.
“By 2007, Ijaw leaders such as Soboma George and Farrah Dagogo played a decisive role in securing victory for Sir Celestine Omehia, while Prince Igodo, a Kalabari-Ijaw warlord, was killed during Omehia’s swearing-in to prevent security breaches.
“In 2011, when Rotimi Amaechi sought to nominate Pastor Tonye Cole as a Minister, Dame Patience Jonathan, wife of the then President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, ensured that Nyesom Wike took the slot instead.”
Prof. Okaba regretted that despite these sacrifices by the Ijaw people, a political elite from the Ikwerre ethnic group now wants to frustrate the first riverine Governor in decades.
He vowed that the Ijaw nation will defend Governor Fubara “With every pint of blood in their veins.”
According to him, the Ijaw people would not stand by and allow their long-awaited tenure to be truncated.
He therefore called on President Bola Tinubu to rise to the occasion, saying the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State must not be treated as ordinary politics.
He added that the Ijaw people, numbering over 40 million worldwide, would not tolerate any attempt to undermine their place in Nigerian politics.
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