Governor Diri receives the INC reconciliation committee report

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has said his administration will study the recommendations of the Ijaw National Congress (INC) Reconciliation Committee and consult widely before implementation.

Governor Diri expressed optimism that the committee’s recommendations would foster peace, progress, stability and repositioning of the Ijaw nation for greater relevance in Nigeria.

A statement on Friday by Governor Daniel Alabrah’s Chief Press Officer noted that the governor said this while receiving the report from the eight-man committee in Government House, Yenagoa on Friday.

The report followed its inauguration by Governor Diri on 26 May 2026 with a mandate to
reconciling aggrieved interests in the INC after a disputed presidential election.

The State Helmsman, who commended the committee members for painstakingly putting together the report within the stipulated deadline of one month, said nothing less than excellence is expected.

He added that the committee delivered a report that speaks to the divisions and future possibilities of the Ijaw people, describing the INC as the highest institutional expression of the people’s historical identity and aspirations.

According to him, “we cannot stand on the sidelines while such a vital institution drifts directionlessly. Congress and the people rise or fall together.

“You have been given a sacred mandate: to find reasons to be together. You have fulfilled it with diligence and courage. You have provided us not just a relationship, but a path back to trust and collective purpose.

“When I inaugurated this committee, I said that the fate of the Ijaw nation was too precious to be left unattended. You felt this urgency. You responded to it.

“Given the high caliber, exceptional pedigree and unimpeachable integrity of this committee, nothing less than excellence was expected. You have delivered a report that speaks to our divisions and our future possibilities.”

Presenting the report, the Chairman of the Reconciliation Committee, Dr. Mathew Seiyefa, said he interacted with all contestants in the INC elections, including members of the Election Committee, INC Executive and also received memorandums from various zones of the INC and other critical stakeholders of the Ijaw nation.

Dr Seiyefa, former Director General of the Department of State Services, noted that the expectation of the committee was that the INC would speak on behalf of the Ijaw nation, its people and its causes.

According to him, the resurgent INC will be more consultative and inclusive, giving primacy to its role as an advocacy platform, which will enable the body to gain greater traction and resonance in people’s lives.

“A common trend, which permeated this interaction, was the overwhelming passion not only for the survival of the INC, but also for its renewal and reinvigoration.

“There was a desire for an INC that would rise to the challenges of the moment with respect to the cause of the Ijaw nation and its people. This sentiment was a key factor in the committee’s deliberations and informed the recommendations we made.”