CURRENT INC TENURE HAS EXPIRED-CHAIRMEN OF FOUR CHAPTERS

…Pioneer scribe calls for constitution of electoral committee

In line with the provision of the constitution of the Ijaw National Congress, INC, 2009, as amended, which stipulates a four-year tenure for National Executive Council, tenure of the  current National Executive Council of the apex socio-cultural body of the Ijaw ethnic nationality, has expired.

A statement obtained from Chairmen of four chapters of the congress in Nigeria, namely, Mr Ebizimoh Okolo (Abuja), Dr Bibowei Braie (Benin City), Otunba Patrick Keku (Lagos) and Mr Iwabo (Akure), disclosed that the life of the current NEC began with its inauguration on March 28, 2013 under the leadership of the late Senator Tari Sekibo, adding that upon the death of Sekibo while on active service, the congress elected  Boma Obuoforibo as President to serve the unexpired term.

The statement further added that National Conference of Ijaw Traditional Rulers and Elders will soon meet to appoint a National Electoral Committee after consulting with key stakeholders of the Congress.

In the same vein, founding National Secretary of INC, Pastor Power Aginighan, has called on the Conference of Traditional Rulers and Elders of Ijaw to constitute an Electoral Committee for the body to conduct fresh elections into the national body.

Aginighan, who made this call in in Port Harcourt, Rivers State,  said there was already a deficit in the apex Ijaw body with the constitutional expiration of the tenure of the current executive of the body this March, hence the need for constitution of an electoral body.

“A leadership vacuum has been created by the failure of the outgone NEC to ensure that election of the next NEC was conducted before the expiration of its four-year tenure provided under Article 28(a)i of the INC Constitution.

“It is my view that the doctrine of necessity should be invoked by the stakeholders of the Congress to convoke an extraordinary meeting of the National Conference of Ijaw Traditional Rulers and Elders to appoint the National Electoral Committee which will conduct elections into the next NEC of Congress,” Aginighan said.