The Coalition of Ijaw Interest Groups (CIIG) has expressed its concerns over policy somersault by the National Electoral Committee of Ijaw National Congress (NELECO) on previously disqualified candidates for the March 7 elections.

CIIG in a statement issued on Friday, noted that the reversal by the NELECO of its own decisions within a space of one week was a threat to the integrity of the electoral process.

The statement was signed by representatives of the coalition, Ben Okolo, Chief Denzil Kentebe, Elaye Otrofanowei, Pattison Boleigha, Mrs Rosemary John-Oduone, Yimovie Dakue-Collins.

Other coalition members include Efiye Bribena, Iniruo Wills, Tare Ekpebu, Ms Annkio Briggs, Ebitimi Egbumukumoh.

“We are concerned by the report of an unconstitutional change made overnight by Justice F. F. Tabai (Rtd) National Electoral Committee (NELECO) of the Ijaw National Congress (INC) of its officially published disqualification of two aspirants in the election for the position of President of INC, two days to the election billed for Saturday 7th March 2026.

“The change is widely suspected to be due to threats and pressures from interests behind the disqualified aspirants. This sudden reversal corrodes the integrity of the INC election process and threatens the legitimacy of the outcomes of the election if it goes on as scheduled.

“It also likely risks further fracturing of the umbrella body of Ijaws, and portends a substantial reversal of what gains the Ijaw Nationality may have made in recent ages.

“The arbitrary reinstatement of the disqualified aspirants as eligible candidates may also exhume several other deficiencies in the process that stakeholders have either protested previously or been restraining themselves from flagging. On 27th February 2026, after a supposedly thorough screening exercise, the ELECO published a “final” list of candidates, with the following listed as cleared to be presidential candidates for having complied with the membership registration and other requirements of the INC Constitution: 1. Chief Nengi Jamieson James (OON) 2. Engr Ebipamowei Wodu 3. Prof Franklin Erepamo Osaisai 4. Rear Admiral Woyenidinikpete Yanga (Rtd)” the statement read in part.

The coalition noted that the NELECO had announced that Chief Ogoriba, Timi Kaiser-Wilhelm and Igbadiwei MacDonald, Esq, who are also aspirants for the position of President were disqualified for non-compliance with the conditions prescribed in the INC Constitution.

According to CIIG, the reason the ELECO stated for the disqualification is that they “did not meet the INC Electoral Guidelines requirements regarding membership.”

The coalition noted that from the NELECO’s own statement, one of the aspirants was “Not Registered” with INC and the other only registered as a member on 23rd July 2025, long after the statutory deadline.

They wondered why six days later, on March 5, the ELECO reversed itself and represented that it has reinstated the disqualified aspirants on grounds that, following “considerable inputs from Ijaw stakeholders including, CITRE appealed to NELECO to revisit the list of non-cleared aspirants.

The NELECO met with the non-cleared aspirants and resolved to “adopt the distinction between Strict Compliance and Substantial Compliance in respect of Eligibility Criteria”

The CIIG noted that the reversal of the disqualification amounted to a judge changing a judgement he has delivered because he changed his mind.

They maintained that the inconsistency, if allowed to stand, sets a bad precedent for the future of Ijaws and urged Ijaw stakeholders to amicably correct the anomaly.

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