Governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri, has urged the Ijaw ethnic nationality and the Ijaw National Congress (INC) to sustain the agitation for the creation of additional states in the Niger Delta, stressing that the struggle should not end with the establishment of Bayelsa.
Diri made the call on Friday at the 2026 national convention of the INC held at the Ijaw House in Yenagoa, where he also declared that he had no preferred candidate among the five contestants vying for the organisation’s presidency.
The governor, according to a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, urged the Ijaw people not to relent in their long-standing demand for the creation of two additional states out of the three originally proposed by the ethnic nationality.
He recalled that the INC, under the leadership of Joshua Fumudoh, had agitated for the creation of Oil Rivers, Bayelsa and Toru-Ibe states, noting that the campaign for the remaining two states must continue.
“We have tried. Today we have one state — Bayelsa.
The INC under Chief Joshua Fumudoh asked for three states: Oil Rivers, Bayelsa and Toru-Ibe. This means there are still two additional states that the Ijaw nation and the INC must continue to pursue. So, it is not yet uhuru,” he said.
Diri also reiterated his call for the practice of true and fiscal federalism in Nigeria, describing the current structure of governance as “unitary federalism.”
According to him, states would experience faster development if they controlled their resources and remitted taxes to the Federal Government.
“Our land and waters have nourished this nation and fuelled its economic activities, yet for too long we have borne the burden of environmental damage and social disadvantage,” he said.
The governor identified economic inequality, environmental degradation and infrastructural neglect as key challenges confronting the Niger Delta and urged the Ijaw people to remain united in addressing them.
He also advised contestants in the INC election to prioritise the collective interest of the ethnic nationality over personal ambition.
Diri commended the outgoing INC President, Benjamin Okaba, and members of his executive council for their leadership and collaboration with government, particularly their role in securing the admission of the Ijaw nation into the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO).
He charged the incoming leadership to continue efforts aimed at reviving Ijaw cultural values and language while advancing the vision of the organisation’s founding fathers.
In his address, Okaba called for stronger global engagement in the Ijaw struggle, noting that the ethnic nationality remains a major contributor to Nigeria’s oil-driven economy despite years of neglect.
He advocated a shift from protest-driven advocacy to strategic global partnerships and described the convention as an opportunity for leadership renewal and reassessment of the organisation’s direction.
Okaba also announced new initiatives, including a Territorial Mapping Project designed to digitally document Ijaw ancestral lands to support environmental monitoring and resource negotiations.
According to him, the INC has also registered 15 affiliate groups to strengthen unity and amplify the voice of the Ijaw people on national and international platforms.
Dignitaries at the event included former Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Peremobowei Ebebi; Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Abraham Ingobere; Head of Service, Ebiye Sawyer; Chairman of the Bayelsa State Traditional Rulers Council, Bubaraye Dakolo; as well as commissioners, lawmakers, traditional rulers and other stakeholders from Bayelsa State, Delta State and Rivers State.
