Ijaw congress leadership crisis deepens

THE Boma Obuoforibo-led Ijaw National Congress has called on members of the group and Nigerians not to recognise Alabotubo Harry as the president of the union.

A statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the INC, Mr. Miebaka Tamunomiebi, described the August 6, 2016 election won by Harry as a sham.

Tamunomiebi recalled on Monday that there was an existing court order restraining the parties involved from holding any election to the office of the President of the Ijaw National Congress.

He said the court had also ruled that Harry should stop parading himself as the President of the INC and warned that anyone dealing with the said Harry would be doing so at his own risk.

The statement read, “A Port Harcourt High Court presided over by Hon. Justice C.N. Wali has nullified the election that purportedly produced Alabotubo Charles Harry as the President of the Ijaw National Congress.

“Ruling on an application brought before the court by Boma Obuoforibo, President of Ijaw National Congress, to stop the said Alabotubo Charles Harry from parading himself and impersonating as the President of Ijaw National Congress, the judge ordered that the purported election of August 6, 2016 or any other day was conducted in defiance of an order of the court restraining the parties involved from holding any election to the office of the President of the Ijaw National Congress and is accordingly set aside.

“By this pronouncement, the public and indeed all Ijaw sons and daughters should take note that any person who does any dealing with the said Alabotubo Charles Harry as the President of the Ijaw National Congress does so at his or her own risk.”

Tamunomiebi, who later spoke in a telephone interview with our correspondent, said those trying to usurp the positions of the current executive of INC should note that a court had nullified Harry’s election.

Reacting, the National Publicity Secretary of Charles Harry faction of the INC, Mr. Victor Burubo, said it was wrong for the Obuoforibo group to lay claim to the executive of the apex Ijaw body.

Burubo, who spoke in a telephone interview with our correspondent on Saturday, said Obuoforibo was impeached and should not claim to be the president of INC.