By Newsmata
As tension escalates in Rivers State over last Friday’s Supreme Court judgement which literally castrates Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s government, the Ijaw National Congress (INC) has condemned the verdict, warning that it cannot guarantee the sustenance of the current peace in the Niger Delta, nor the continued rise in oil production in the country arising from the fallout of the court’s decisions.
Newsmata reports that the apex court, in its judgement directed the governor to represent the 2025 budget to the Martin Amahewule’s pro-Nyesom Wike House of Assembly, nullified the local government elections conducted by Fubara, and most devastating, ordered the seizure by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and the Accountant General of the Federation, of the state’s allocations from the Federation Account.
Reacting to the judgement in a statement released on Monday, the INC president, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, threatened a show-down, warning that any attempt to undermine Governor Fubara would have dire consequences for national peace and economic stability.
While vowing that Ijaw people would defend the governor “with every pint of blood in their veins”, the INC declared that they would not stand by and allow their long-awaited tenure to be truncated, adding, “Any further attempts to sideline Governor Fubara may come at a heavy price”.
While enjoining Governor Fubara to, in the spirit of sportsmanship, work with all duly constituted arms of government in the state, the INC threatened that “if Governor Fubara’s tenure is truncated by the 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 likely disruptions in oil production in the region.
The statement regretted that the judgement failed to acknowledge the historical and political sacrifices made by the Ijaw people in Rivers State’s governance, noting that the Ijaw people had played a crucial role in shaping the state’s leadership for decades.
Tracing the roots of political dynamics in the state, Prof. Okaba went down memory lane, recalling that “In 1999, an Ijaw leader, Chief Marshall Harry, was instrumental in securing the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) 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 (APP).
“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, the wife of then-President Goodluck Jonathan, ensured that Nyesom Wike took the slot instead”.
The INC is miffed that despite these consistent sacrifices by the Ijaw people, an Ikwerre political elite now seeks to frustrate the first riverine governor in decades.
The group expressed dismay that while the INC had worked tirelessly to preserve peace in the Niger Delta leading to increased oil production and revenue for the nation, “regrettably, the same resources are now being used to marginalise the Ijaw people”.
Prof. Okaba in particular specifically noted that this trend extends beyond Rivers State to Ondo, Edo, Delta, and Akwa Ibom, where Ijaws continue to face political exclusion.
Issuing a direct warning to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the INC insisted that the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State must not be treated as ordinary politicking, emphasising that the Ijaw people, numbering over 40 million worldwide, would not tolerate any attempt to undermine their place in Nigerian politics.
With the battle line drawn, concerned Nigerians and stakeholders believe that only a political solution can avert the looming anarchy in the state, especially amid the tension raised by a tough-talking House of House of Assembly which handed Governor Fubara 48 hours ultimatum to represent the 2025 budget to it.