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Amidst rumoured calls from some quarters for fresh polls, following the 2019 botched election into the leadership of the apex socio-political body of the Ijaw ethnic nationality, the Ijaw National Congress (INC), some leading candidates have vowed to reject such moves.
The candidates for the post of president-general, Professor Benjamin Okaba, and for vice-president II, Chief Nengi James, while reacting to the rumoured calls, said they will challenge any attempts to impose an unpopular decision and subvert the constitution of the body in a competent court of the law.
Addressing newsmen in Yenagoa, Prof Okaba said, “the recent call by the government to resuscitate INC is in the right direction but again we are compelled to state categorically in the midst of rumours making the rounds that some persons are clamouring for fresh elections, meaning that all we did is invalidated, and people are already parading themselves as government candidates, people that were not part of the process earlier.
“We are saying you started a process that was inconclusive, you have to complete the process. We are offering several solutions, that after the four years tenure, whoever that is interested can come in, so what is the essence of canceling the process that did not end?
“As a family let us respect tradition, let us respect the dignity of our institution, we should not be thinking of building individuals, we should build institutions and the best way of building institutions is to stand by the decisions of the institution. For the fact that we did not go to court does not mean we cannot go to court.”
On his part, the candidate for the position of Vice-President II, Chief Nengi James said: “I have heard of a kangaroo arrangement that some people are going around all the zones giving people money to support a fresh election so that their puppets would be part of the purported fresh election.
“In the constitution of the INC, there is no place for replacement or substitution of candidate in an event of death. If they want to replace any candidate that is late, such action is unacceptable and unconstitutional. Who is afraid of Nengi James in Ijaw nation?
“As a vice presidential candidate, I want to put it in record that the Justice Tabai Committee has not invited me officially, Justice Tabai is a respected jurist and a traditional ruler, and while I’m not against the committee or process, but as a candidate and stakeholder, I need to be part of any decision taken with regards to the inconclusive election of INC.
“I have the right to fair hearing, and to make inputs, but if I am not part of the decision-taking process or I am not satisfied with the decision taken by the Justice Tabai committee and the right thing is not done, I will go to court to seek redress or form a parallel exco, we are all Ijaw people and I have been involved in the Ijaw cause for over 35 years, I’m an elder and so I deserved some respect.”
He added that the traditional rulers in Ijawland had earlier taken a decision that the process should be completed and queried the rationale behind the sudden call for fresh elections, warning that such moves will be vehemently rejected.
