The planned 2026 presidential election of the Ijaw National Congress (INC) has been suspended following an interim injunction issued by a Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt.
The election, originally scheduled for Saturday, March 7, 2026, was halted after the court ordered that the electoral process be stopped pending the resolution of issues raised in a legal action filed by one of the presidential candidates.
Addressing presidential aspirants and delegates at the INC National Secretariat in Yenagoa, the INC President, Benjamin Okaba, apologised for the sudden disruption and the inconvenience caused to participants who had gathered for the exercise.
Okaba explained that the leadership of the congress had no option but to comply with the court directive, stressing that the organization remains committed to operating within the bounds of the law.
He acknowledged the challenges the situation created, including delays and the strain on delegates who had already assembled for accreditation and voting.
According to him, certain issues needed to be addressed in accordance with the court order before the election could proceed.
Following the announcement, the INC president convened a meeting with aspirants and delegates at the congress conference hall, where a convention session was held to deliberate on the development.
During the meeting, participants discussed possible steps forward and agreed that the election would be conducted on a new date to be announced by the leadership of the organisation.
Speaking with journalists shortly after the convention, nuclear engineer and leading presidential aspirant, Franklin Erepamo Osaisai, expressed regret over the disruption but urged delegates to remain calm.
“As you all know, we were supposed to have elections today. Accreditation was to start at 8 a.m., and the election was scheduled to commence at 10 a.m.
Unfortunately, that has not happened, and we sincerely apologise to delegates who have been here for quite a long time,” Osaisai said.
He explained that the suspension was triggered by a court injunction obtained by one of the presidential candidates, which sought to halt the election process.
“The crisis was occasioned by a court injunction procured by one of the presidential candidates who wanted the process stopped.
”That injunction was served, and the INC, being a law-abiding institution, has agreed to comply with it,” he added.
Osaisai further disclosed that the leadership of the INC had already begun working toward resolving the issues to ensure that the election could still take place within a shortened timeframe before the next leadership is sworn in.
He expressed optimism that the decision taken during the convention would help maintain unity within the organisation.
“It is a good decision because it will bring peace to the INC and to our people. I believe that peace is exactly what the Ijaw nation needs at this moment,” he said.
The INC leadership is expected to announce a new date for the presidential election after addressing the legal concerns raised in court.
