From Seyi Tayese, Yenagoa
The Ijaw Elders Forum (IEF) has dissociated itself from the Ijaw National Congress (INC), citing a prolonged constitutional crisis that it said had eroded the organisation’s legitimacy.
IEF in a statement issued on Saturday accused the INC leadership of failing to comply with the provisions of its constitution.
The statement was signed by the Chairman, IEF Lagos, Chief Bukazi Etete Efiye Bribena, and Secretary, IEF Lagos respectively and made available to our Correspondent via email.
According to the forum, constitutional compliance remains the foundation of institutional legitimacy and credible representation.
It said no organisation could legitimately claim to represent a people while disregarding the constitutional framework from which it derives its authority.
“It is our considered position that the persistent failure of the leadership of the INC to comply with and faithfully implement the provisions of its Constitution has precipitated a profound crisis of legitimacy and confidence,” the statement said.
The IEF said repeated appeals by stakeholders for constitutional compliance, institutional reforms and due process had not produced the required corrective measures.
It said confidence in the INC’s capacity to defend the political, economic, environmental, developmental and cultural interests of the Ijaw people had been significantly eroded.
Consequently, the forum announced its formal withdrawal from the INC and its current leadership.
“Accordingly, the Ijaw Elders Forum hereby formally dissociates itself from INC worldwide and the prevailing leadership and constitutional crisis within the Ijaw National Congress,” it stated.
The elders said the INC, in its present state, lacked the constitutional certainty, institutional coherence and moral authority required to represent the Ijaw nation.
The forum reaffirmed its commitment to advancing the collective interests of the Ijaw people pending the resolution of the constitutional impasse.
It announced that it would resume the advocacy role it played between 2015 and 2021 when the INC was weakened by internal crisis.
“Until all constitutional issues affecting the status, governance and legitimacy of the INC are conclusively resolved and constitutional order is restored, the IEF shall again fill the resulting vacuum in the advancement of Ijaw collective interests,” it said.
The forum recalled that its previous intervention helped pave the way for the Pan-Ijaw Assembly and the eventual revival of the INC through the collaborative efforts of Ijaw institutions and leaders.
The IEF expressed optimism that constitutional order, institutional integrity, purposeful representation and collective responsibility remained essential to the unity, progress and prosperity of the Ijaw nation.
It will be recalled that the INC has been embroiled in a prolonged leadership crisis stemming from disagreements over the interpretation and implementation of its constitution, particularly on tenure, succession and the conduct of elections.
The dispute has resulted in rival leadership claims, legal battles and repeated calls by elders and stakeholders for constitutional compliance, internal reforms and reconciliation to restore stability within the apex Ijaw socio-cultural organisation.
The current position by the IEF is expected to intensify pressure on the INC to resolve the impasse, amid concerns that the lingering crisis could undermine its ability to effectively represent the collective interests of the Ijaw people.
