Tension gripped Yenagoa on Monday as heavily armed security operatives sealed off Ijaw House along Sani Abacha Road, halting the planned National Executive Council (NEC) election of the Ijaw National Congress.
A combined team of stern-looking personnel from the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services took control of the premises as early as 7 a.m., denying access to delegates and stakeholders.
At least eight police vans were strategically positioned around the complex, while DSS operatives maintained a strong presence within the facility, effectively shutting down all activities.
An aide to one of the candidates, who arrived with escorts from the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, was informed by a senior police officer that the barricade was enforced on the orders of the Commissioner of Police.
The development followed a directive by the Conference of Ijaw Traditional Rulers and Elders, which had earlier called for the suspension of the election amid rising disputes and petitions against the NEC and its Electoral Committee.
At a press briefing on Sunday, the Chairman of CITRE and Bayelsa State Traditional Rulers Council, King Bubaraye Dakolo, cited multiple constitutional breaches under the Prof. Benjamin Okaba-led NEC, warning that the prevailing tension among delegates made a credible election impossible.
He emphasised that, as the final arbiter under the INC constitution, CITRE had formally written to the Bayelsa State Police Command to prevent any gathering at Ijaw House pending the resolution of the disputes.
The disruption underscores a deepening leadership crisis within the INC, a body regarded as the foremost socio-cultural organisation representing the interests of the Ijaw people across Nigeria and the diaspora. For millions of Ijaw people worldwide, the INC serves not only as a unifying platform but also as a critical voice in advocacy, resource control, environmental justice and regional development in the Niger Delta.
Observers warn that the inability to conduct a peaceful and credible NEC election could weaken the Congress’ moral authority at a time when coordinated leadership is vital to addressing longstanding socio-economic and political challenges confronting Ijaw communities globally.
As security remains tight around the venue, uncertainty persists over when the electoral process will resume, raising fresh concerns about stability within one of the Niger Delta’s most influential ethnic institutions.
