Swearing-In Must Hold! Court Sends Strong Warning to Those Fighting New INC Executives
.......says Bayelsa Not Only Place for INC Swearing-In, Delta and Rivers Approved
By Passman Akpos
The High Court of Justice, Warri Judicial Division, Delta State, has delivered a major ruling in the leadership crisis rocking the Ijaw National Congress, dismissing an attempt to stop the swearing-in of the newly elected National Executive and affirming the legality of the April 13, 2026 election.
In Suit No. W/125/2026, filed by High Chief MacDonald E. Igbadiwei Esq., who sued for himself and on behalf of the newly elected National Executive of the INC, the court rejected the preliminary objection raised by the 1st Defendant, HRM King Bubaraye Dakolo Agada IV, Chairman of Conference of Ijaw Traditional Rulers and Elders (N-CITRE)
Presiding over the matter on Friday, May 8, 2026, Hon. Justice Anthony Olotu Akpovi ruled that the objection lacked merit and dismissed it with a cost of N500,000 awarded in favor of the claimant.
The court held that there was no constitutional or statutory barrier preventing the matter from being filed in Delta State, noting that some parties involved, including the claimant and other defendants, reside within the state.
Justice Akpovi also dismissed allegations of forum shopping linked to an earlier pre-election matter before the Bayelsa State High Court, stressing that the Bayelsa case was a separate pre-election suit and that none of the newly elected executives, including the claimant, were parties in that matter.
In a significant victory for the newly elected leadership, the court granted the claimant’s motion for interlocutory injunction, ruling that the swearing-in of the executives should not be frustrated by any individual or group outside due legal process.
According to the judge, the real issue requiring urgent protection was not merely the legality of the election itself, but the “presumed threat” by the 1st Defendant to disrupt the inauguration of the elected officers.
“The res to be protected is the swearing in of the claimant and his executive,” the judge ruled, adding that it was in the best interest of the entire INC to avoid a leadership vacuum.
The court further stated that any aggrieved contestant or party could still challenge the outcome of the election through lawful means after the swearing-in process had been completed.
In another major pronouncement, the court clarified that the INC Constitution does not restrict the swearing-in venue to Bayelsa State alone.
Justice Akpovi held that the inauguration could validly take place either at the Rivers State Eastern Zonal Office, the Delta State Western Zonal Office, or the Bayelsa State Central Zonal Office, declaring that swearing-in at any of these locations would be constitutionally valid.
The court also granted leave for the claimant to amend the statement of claim within five days, while the defendants were given five days to respond.
The substantive suit has now been placed on accelerated hearing, with hearing dates fixed for May 29, 2026, and June 29, 2026.
The ruling is already generating strong reactions across Ijaw communities, as many see it as a major judicial endorsement of the newly elected leadership and a direct setback for attempts to halt the transition process within the apex socio-cultural body.
