The Ijaw Ethnic Nationality now has a new leader after delegates cast their votes in an epochal departure from the analogue polling system.  He is Professor Benjamin Okaba.

A Professor of Sociology at the Federal University, Otuoke, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, who hails from Kpakiama in Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State, emerged as the new National President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC) Worldwide, the umbrella body of the Ijaw ethnic nationality.

He polled 162 votes to win his fellow contenders, Fredrick Owotorufa, who polled 111 votes, and Dr. Chris Ekiyor, a one-time President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), who polled 92 votes.

Also elected in the keenly contested election, which had a total of 420 voters (candidates and delegates) drawn from the Eastern, Central and Western zones and six chapters of the INC, were Atamuno Atamuno, Nengi James, and F.J. Williams, as first, second and third Vice Presidents.

Others were Ebipamowei Wodu, General Secretary; Sampson Uropa, Assisstant General Secretary; Brown Philip, Treasurer; Kennedy Odiowei, Financial Secretary; Ezonnebi Oyakemeagbegha, National Publicity Secretary; Onengiofori Fenibo, National Organizing Secretary; Bomo Fetepigi, National Legal Adviser; Alali Danagogo, National Women Affairs Secretary; Peremoh Opiah, National Welfare Secretary; and Tamara Abisagbo, National Auditor.

The newly elected INC President, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, along with his executive, were issued with Certificates of Return shortly after being declared winners by the Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Emeritus Professor Dagogo Fubara, who congratulated them on their victory and emergence as the new leadership of the Ijaw race.

His Royal Highness, Alabo Prof. Fubara, who is the first to obtain a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree and become Professor of Geodesy of African descent and the Dappaye Amakiri XVII of Opobo Kingdom, enjoined them to maximize the opportunity of their positions to avail the Ijaw nation their services and expertise with a focus on changing the paradigm of development and advocacy for the people and, especially, the Niger Delta region.

In his acceptance speech, the newly elected INC President, Prof. Okaba commended the delegates, the Electoral Committee, all stakeholders, and the entire Ijaw nation, for their support and for the peaceful conduct of a hitch-free election, and the various security agencies for providing adequate security during the elections.

Prof. Okaba, who was the pioneer Chairman of the Society for Peace Studies and Practice (SPSP), Delta state chapter, and member of the Board of Trustees of the Conarina School of Maritime Transport and Management Technology, Oria-Abraka, Delta State, Nigeria, promised to provide the needed leadership that the Ijaw ethnic nationality yearns for that would engender a more constructive advocacy and sustainable development for the race.

Speaking during a reception he organized in honour of the new INC Executive in Creek Haven (Government House), Yenagoa, Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri expressed delight on the outcome of the election, attributing the successful conduct of the polls to God’s providence, voicing his expectation that the new leadership will raise the bar of advocacy for the Ijaw race.

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“I am indeed the happiest man today, that out of this electoral process, we have a brand new executive of INC. There is a hand of God in your election. It was God’s own design using everyone of us to ensure the loud silence of the Ijaw nation will no longer be.”

“In spite of all the suspicions and fears, we produced an acceptable INC leadership. A big thank you to this worthy Electoral Committee.”

Reacting to the outcome of the election, one of the presidential aspirants, Dr. Chris Ekiyor, who expressed misgivings over noticeable anomalies in the e-voting adopted for the election, noted that observed errors should form the basis for future improvement of the process.

He, however, stated that “one must compliment and commend the good work of all the parties that worked very hard to deliver this election successfully. It was a great departure from our gloomy past and clearly it is the dawn of a new beginning in Ijaw Nation.”

On his part, National President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Peter Igbifa, speaking through IYC National Publicity Secretary, Ebilade Ekerefe, commended the Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri for providing the peaceful atmosphere with which the INC election was conducted.

He congratulated Prof. Okaba and his new executive, praying that God Almighty would give him the wisdom and knowledge to pilot the affairs of the INC, noting that the timing of his emergence was auspicious as it came at a time when the Ijaw nation was looking for strategic direction, expressing his readiness and that of the IYC to synergize to secure Ijaw nation’s interest within the Nigerian context.

Coordinator of the INC Election Debate Commission, Shedrack Fubara thanked all the candidates for presenting themselves to the Ijaw Nation to be asked tough questions, advising them to see this as a call to service for Ijaw Nation, urging them, both winners and losers, to come together to reposition the INC and Ijaw Nation to enable here take her pride of place in contemporary Nigeria.

The INC Election Debate Commission, a project of the Diaspora Chapters (North America and Europe) of the INC led by Nyengi Akamande and Steve Benamaisia as Chairmen, respectively, organized the two days Debate, which took place virtually on the Zoom Conference virtual platform and had in attendance over 150 participants drawn from Nigeria, Europe and North America, the first of its kind by any Pan Ethnic Organization.

Fubara, who is a member and delegate of INC North America Chapter, revealed that the debate afforded the candidates and the Ijaw people a point of convergence to distil the core issues affecting the ethnic nationality and its homeland spread across the Niger Delta region.