*PANDEF Chairman Explains How Diri-led Reconciliation Resolved INC Crisis
National Chairman of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) and member of the Ijaw National Congress (INC) Reconciliation Committee, Ambassador Godknows Boladei Igali, OON, has expressed optimism over the resolution of the leadership crisis that followed the April 13, 2026 presidential election of the INC.
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Igali spoke to journalists shortly after the Ijaw National Congress Unity Reception hosted by Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, at the traditional Ijaw House in Yenagoa on Tuesday, September 1, 2026.
The unity reception brought together Ijaw leaders, traditional rulers, political leaders, stakeholders and members of the various camps involved in the leadership dispute, signalling a new phase of reconciliation within the umbrella socio-cultural organisation of the Ijaw people.
Igali, who is also the Ibetariowei of Izonland and a former Ambassador of Nigeria to Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland, said the intervention by Governor Diri was motivated by the potential consequences of the crisis for both the Ijaw nation and Nigeria.
He said although crises were not peculiar to the Ijaw people, the strategic position of the Ijaw nation in Nigeria made the resolution of the dispute particularly important.
“Where there are human beings, there’ll be crises. Crises have been parts and parcels of human society, from the dawn of history. So it is not peculiar to the Ijaw people.”
According to him, Governor Diri was “magnanimous enough to see the danger” posed by the crisis, not only to the Ijaw people but also to national peace and development.
“Nigeria is a country of different ethnic nationalities and different people. And it is the peace of all the people that comes to form the peace of Nigeria. So if any of the major groups has major crises among themselves, it will invariably affect the national peace and the national development.”
Igali noted that the Ijaw people are spread across seven states and occupy strategically important areas of Nigeria’s oil and gas-producing region.
He explained that the significance of the Ijaw nation to the national economy made it imperative for its leaders to resolve internal disagreements peacefully.
“The governor thought it wise to bring together some of us, six of us, who had served at different levels of the nation, and it was not an easy task.”
He disclosed that the reconciliation process was particularly challenging because the dispute had generated multiple legal actions in different parts of the country, while various interest groups, including women and youths, had also taken different positions.
“Out of seven aspirants, six were on one side. There were court cases in Port Harcourt, court cases in Akure, court cases in Warri, court cases in Benin.”
Igali said the committee eventually recognised the need to put the collective interest of the Ijaw people and the country above individual positions.
He acknowledged that members of the reconciliation committee themselves had disagreements during their deliberations, with some members even considering issuing a minority report.
“I was part of the peace committee; we fought among ourselves. We disagreed. And some of us wanted to do a minority report. But after talking and talking, we saw the need for us to place the interest of the people, the interest of our country above any personal thoughts.”
He said the outcome of the reconciliation process was therefore a victory for unity and collective responsibility.
“That’s why we’ve arrived on this. So it’s a day of joy.”
The PANDEF chairman expressed confidence that the resolution of the crisis would enable the Ijaw National Congress to focus on issues affecting the people and contribute more effectively to national development.
He stressed that maintaining peace in the Ijaw-speaking areas was particularly important given the region’s contribution to Nigeria’s oil and gas economy.
“We are ready as a people to continue to contribute so significantly to the national treasury, and to ensure that our part of the country is peaceful, so that we can be at peace and we can continue to benefit, so that the entire country can benefit.”
Igali also highlighted the diversity of the dignitaries who attended the unity reception, describing the gathering as a demonstration of the collective strength of the Ijaw nation.
“So I think it’s a good assemblage of our people, and we have spoken with a loud voice that we’re together, and we will always be together, and we will respect the new leadership that has emerged.”
He said the reconciliation should also provide lessons for future leadership transitions within the INC, noting that the committee had made recommendations aimed at strengthening the organisation’s internal processes and preventing similar disputes.
“This is just one of several recommendations. Other recommendations are housekeeping and social issues, and to prevent such breakdown when there is election, leadership change process.”
The former Nigerian diplomat urged the Ijaw people to consolidate the peace achieved through the reconciliation process and maintain the spirit of unity demonstrated at the reception.
He described the gathering as significant not only for the Ijaw nation but also for Nigeria.
“It’s also significant for the country, because we are ready as a people to continue to contribute so significantly to the national treasury, and to ensure that our part of the country is peaceful.”
Igali, who thanked journalists for their coverage of the reconciliation process, expressed satisfaction that the Ijaw nation had overcome a difficult period and come together once again.
“So it’s a day of joy, and we thank you, the ladies and gentlemen of the press, for being with us, doing such a marvelous job.”
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