A fresh legal dispute has stalled the planned inauguration of a new executive of the Ijaw National Congress (INC) following conflicting court orders issued by two different state high courts over the controversial leadership election held on April 13, 2026, plunging the foremost pan-Ijaw socio-cultural organisation into a deepening crisis.
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The development came as the Chairman of the Conference of Ijaw Traditional Rulers and Elders (CITRE), King Bubaraye Dakolo, directed all parties involved in the dispute to maintain the status quo in line with an order issued by the Yenagoa Division of the Bayelsa State High Court, while simultaneously disclosing that he had received a separate and contradictory injunction from a Warri court in Delta State directing him not to stop the swearing-in of the president-elect.
The disputed April 13 election had produced High Chief MacDonald Igbadiwei as the new President of the INC, an outcome reportedly backed by the outgoing president, Prof. Ben Okaba. However, the controversy surrounding the election has triggered multiple legal actions and counter-orders from courts in two different states, effectively halting the scheduled inauguration of the new executive which had been planned for May 14, 2026.
Speaking at a press conference in Yenagoa on Tuesday, King Dakolo advised members of the Igbadiwei-led executive to stay away from the planned inauguration scheduled for Wednesday, May 14, 2026, pending the determination of court cases surrounding the exercise.
The traditional ruler maintained that under the established procedures of the organisation, only the CITRE chairman is empowered to swear in an authentic president of the INC, and no inauguration could proceed without his participation.
“Nobody in CITRE, or from ELECO should swear in anybody. If there is no handover, it means that CITRE will take over the affairs of INC pending when all issues are resolved,” King Dakolo declared.
He further warned: “Also there are court orders barring anybody from swearing in anybody. And if this sails through, it will portend a lot of problems for the Ijaw Nation. INC is not a lawless entity. Tomorrow will still be efforts in futility.”
The legal complexity of the situation was laid bare when King Dakolo disclosed that he was caught between two directly conflicting judicial directives.
On one hand, a Yenagoa High Court presided over by Justice Amadise Michael Ekadi had ordered all parties to maintain the status quo as of May 12, 2026, pending further hearing in the matter. In the suit before the Yenagoa court, Rear Admiral Geoffrey Yanga (rtd), Alabo Nengi James, and Engr. Ebipamowei Wodu were listed as claimants, while Prof. Ben Okaba, HRM Justice F.F. Tibai (rtd), and Dr. Olobo Choice Jamaica representing members of the 2026 National Electoral Committee — were listed as defendants.
Delivering his ruling, Justice Ekadi stated: “Parties maintain the status quo as at today. No party in this suit inclusive of the party seeking to be joined should take any step to undermine proceedings pending before the court.” The judge subsequently adjourned the matter to May 14, 2026, for hearing of all pending applications linked to the leadership dispute.
On the other hand, court documents sighted by journalists showed that Justice Anthony Olotu of the Delta State High Court, sitting in Warri, had on May 8, 2026, granted an interim injunction restraining CITRE from interfering with the inauguration of Igbadiwei and other elected members of the National Executive Council.
This created a direct jurisdictional conflict: the Yenagoa court ordered that the inauguration should not proceed, while the Warri court ordered that CITRE should not prevent it from proceeding. King Dakolo acknowledged that the situation had created serious legal complications over jurisdiction, leaving him and other stakeholders caught between contradictory judicial directives.
The crisis goes to the heart of the INC’s internal democratic processes and the role of its traditional governance structures. The CITRE, as the council of Ijaw traditional rulers and elders, occupies a unique constitutional role within the INC’s organisational framework, with the power to authenticate and inaugurate elected executives. Without CITRE’s participation, any inauguration risks being challenged as procedurally defective.
The outgoing president, Prof. Ben Okaba, who reportedly backed the Igbadiwei candidacy, is now listed as a defendant in the Yenagoa suit, further complicating the political dynamics of the transition.
The claimants in the Yenagoa suit Rear Admiral Yanga (rtd), Alabo Nengi James, and Engr. Wodu appear to represent a faction that disputes the legitimacy of the April 13 election and is seeking judicial intervention to prevent the inauguration of Igbadiwei’s executive pending a full determination of the merits of their challenge.
The matter remains before the Yenagoa High Court for hearing of all pending applications, while the Warri court’s injunction restraining CITRE from blocking the inauguration adds a further layer of legal entanglement that may ultimately require resolution at a higher court.
As of the time of this report, it is unclear whether the Igbadiwei camp will attempt to proceed with any form of inauguration in defiance of the Yenagoa court order, or whether all parties will await judicial resolution of the competing claims and conflicting court orders.
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