In an update published by ThisDay, a Rivers State High Court has issued an interim injunction restraining the Ijaw National Congress (INC) from proceeding with its national election scheduled for today, March 7. Justice Sika Henry Aprioku granted the order following a suit filed by a chairmanship aspirant who alleged a plot to unlawfully exclude him from the contest.
The court directed the parties involved to attempt an internal resolution within seven days through the organization’s internal dispute resolution committee. This legal hurdle has thrown the umbrella body of the Ijaw nation into a state of temporary leadership uncertainty, as many delegates had already arrived in Port Harcourt for the exercise.
The claimant, High Chief Macdonald Igbadiwei, argued that his disqualification by the electoral committee was a breach of the INC constitution. The court warned that any attempt to proceed with the election despite the injunction would amount to contempt of court.
The Guardian validated this, reporting that “Justice Aprioku halted the scheduled national election of the Ijaw National Congress (INC) slated for March 7,” while Vanguard added that “the judge held that if the dispute is not resolved within the stipulated period, the case will proceed in court on March 18.”
Echotitbits take: Ethnic nationality unions in Nigeria often mirror the complexities of national politics. This court-ordered pause is a blow to the INC’s transition plans but underscores the growing trend of using the judiciary to settle internal organizational disputes. Expect intense behind-the-scenes lobbying among Ijaw elders this week.
Source: ThisDay – thisdaylive.com/2026/03/07/court-stops-ijaw-national-congress-election-over-alleged-candidate-disqualification/, March 7, 2026
Photo credit: ThisDay
