The National Secretary of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Engr. Ebipamowei Wodu, has distanced himself from the planned inauguration of a new National Representative Council (NRC), describing the process as unconstitutional and procedurally flawed.
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In a press statement issued on April 27, 2026, Wodu criticized the move allegedly initiated by the National Assistant Secretary, Hon. Samson Uroupa, to inaugurate the council at Ijaw House in Yenagoa.
Wodu stated that the decision to disassociate himself was based on clear violations of the INC’s constitutional provisions. According to him, “the INC National Secretariat has not received NRC nominees from over 70 out of the 78 clans in Ijaw Nation,” raising serious concerns about representation and legitimacy.
He further noted that nominations from zonal executive committees, which must be approved by their respective general assemblies as stipulated in the INC 2019 Constitution, were also yet to be submitted. “There are also other statutory members of the NRC that have not been informed or invited,” he added.
The INC scribe warned that proceeding with the inauguration under such conditions would be counterproductive. “Hurriedly assembling persons whose status have not been verified will be counter-productive and further compound the already existing problems in the INC,” he said.
Wodu recalled that the outgoing NRC inaugurated in 2022 followed a “meticulous process” that ensured inclusiveness and proper consultation, contrasting it with what he described as a “desperate move” that could plunge the council into crisis.
He also revealed that he had earlier alerted stakeholders about the expiration of the NRC’s tenure on April 26, 2026, but his warnings were not taken seriously.
“The current desperate move, if allowed to go on, would enmesh the NRC… into an unnecessary crisis,” Wodu cautioned, calling for urgent intervention to safeguard the integrity of the INC.
The development signals growing internal tensions within the apex Ijaw socio-cultural organization, as stakeholders weigh the legality and implications of the proposed inauguration.
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