Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has said that his administration will carefully study the recommendations of the Reconciliation Committee of the Ijaw National Congress (INC) and engage in wide consultations before implementing them.
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Governor Diri expressed optimism that the committee’s recommendations would foster peace, stability, progress, and reposition the Ijaw nation for greater relevance in Nigeria.
The Bayelsa governor stated this on Friday while receiving the report of the eight-member committee at Government House, Yenagoa.
The committee was inaugurated by Governor Diri on May 26, 2026, with the mandate to reconcile aggrieved interests within the INC following the disputed presidential election of the congress.
Commending members of the committee for diligently completing their assignment within the stipulated one-month timeframe, Governor Diri said he expected nothing less than excellence from a team of such distinguished personalities.
He noted that the committee had delivered a report that addresses both the divisions within the Ijaw nation and the opportunities for a stronger future, describing the INC as the highest institutional expression of the identity and historic aspirations of the Ijaw people.
According to him, “We cannot stand aloof while such a vital institution drifts without direction. The Congress and the people rise or fall together.
“You were given a sacred mandate: to find reasons to stay together. You have discharged it with diligence and courage. You have given us not just a report, but a pathway back to trust and collective purpose.
“When I inaugurated this committee, I said the destiny of the Ijaw nation was too precious to be left unattended. You heard that urgency and responded to it.
“Given the high calibre, sterling pedigree, and unimpeachable integrity of this committee, nothing less than excellence was expected. You have delivered a report that speaks to our divisions and to our future possibilities.”
Presenting the report, the chairman of the reconciliation committee, Dr. Mathew Seiyefa, said the committee engaged all contestants in the INC presidential election, members of the electoral committee, the INC executive, and also received memoranda from the various zones of the congress as well as other critical stakeholders of the Ijaw nation.
Dr. Seiyefa, a former Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), said the committee was guided by the expectation that the INC should continue to serve as the foremost voice of the Ijaw nation and champion the interests of its people.
He expressed confidence that a reinvigorated INC would become more consultative and inclusive while placing greater emphasis on advocacy, thereby enhancing its relevance and impact on the lives of the Ijaw people.
According to him, “A common trend that permeated our interactions was the overwhelming passion not just for the survival of the INC, but for its renewal and reinvigoration.
“There was a strong yearning for an INC that would rise to the challenges of the moment in advancing the cause of the Ijaw nation and its people. This sentiment became a key driver of the committee’s deliberations and informed the recommendations we have made.”
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