The apex socio-cultural organization of the Ijaw nation worldwide, the Ijaw National Congress (INC), led by its President, Professor Benjamin Okaba, has urged the Rivers State House of Assembly led by Martins Amaewhule to focus on its core legislative and oversight duties, and allow the Governor Siminalayi Fubara-led executive to serve the people who elected them into office.

The INC's appeal as contained in a press statement released on January 9, 2026, is in reaction to the deepening political crisis and the resumption of impeachment proceedings by the Rivers State House of Assembly against the democratically elected Governor, Fubara, and his Deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu.

The INC while rejecting the development, condemns the action of impeachment which it said is the third attempt since 2023, and is "a relentless cycle of political vendetta that must be broken."

The INC said the political crisis in the state is not "merely an Ijaw issue" but is "a fundamental test for and threat to Nigeria's democracy" stressing that the "allegations presented by the Assembly, including matters of budgetary spending and gubernatorial appointments, are governance issues that can and must be resolved within the framework of law and due process, not through the weaponization of impeachment."

Alleging that the impeachment threat is as a result of the "collapse of a peace deal brokered by President Bola Tinubu in June 2025" between Governor Fubara and the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and that it is used "as a political tool rather than a genuine check on executive power," the INC frowned at the speed by the State House implementation while questioning if the process is in adherence to the spirit of fairness, as echoed by "persons across the political spectrum, including within the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, who have also called for the impeachment to be dropped."

The INC appealed on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to decisively act as a father of the nation to ensure that constitutional democracy is upheld in the State to guarantee stability, to ensure absolute neutrality and fairness to resolving the issues, to curb all agents of instability to prevent the state from falling into crisis, and to safeguard the State's Federal Allocations as withholding such is not only unconstitutional, but provocative.

Okaba urged the "Ijaw people and residents of Rivers State to remain peaceful, law-abiding, and resolute" and that they should stand for Democratic Principles by channeling their energies into peaceful civic engagement, while supporting constitutional governance.

The apex apex socio-cultural organization while supporting the call of the Eastern Zone of the INC and the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), charged all stakeholders to be guided by their utterances in order not to escalate the crisis, while it reaffirmed its position that "all the utterances made by any other group concerning the ljaw unwavering support for Governor SIM should be disregarded by the general public as misleading and not representing the IJAW POSITION."

The INC appeal as well as advised the Fubara-led Executive and the Amaewhule-led Legislative arms of government in Rivers State "to work together amicably and peacefully in the overall interest of the Masses in the State, who are, indeed entitled to peace and development, and not self-destruction or anarchy."

The INC pledged to remain "committed to the unity, peace, and progress of Nigeria" and that it "will continue to monitor the situation closely and will take all legitimate and constitutional steps necessary to ensure that the rights of the Ijaw people and all citizens of Rivers State are protected, and that democracy prevails over impunity."

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