By John Ovie, YENAGOA
The leadership crisis plaguing the apex body of Izon nation, the Ijaw National Congress (INC) has deepened as another presidential candidate, Rear Admiral Geofrey Yanga (rtd) who boycotted the April 13th national executive council election of the INC held at the Ijaw House in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state has rejected outcome of the polls.
The Justice Francis Tabai led National Electoral Committee of the said election had declared McDonald Igbadiwei as president-elect.
Prior to the election, the National Council of Traditional Rulers and Elders (N-CITRE) of the pan Ijaw sociocultural group led by King Bubaraye Dakolo had issued a statement putting the process on hold pending resolution of alleged irregularities raised by some presidential candidates.
However, the Prof. Benjamin Okaba led INC did not yield the N-CITRE order but went ahead to conduct the election.
One of the presidential candidates, Alabo Nengi James, and King Dakolo had earlier denied knowledge of any election held by the INC on April 13th.
Similarly, Yanga during a phone-in live radio programme in a Yenagoa based radio station, rejected the outcome of the controversial INC election.
The retired military general alleged that the election was marred by constitutional breaches including irregular delegates election and lack of neutrality on the part of the electoral committee.
He recounted that he had taken a legal action, insisting that only the court can determine the legitimacy of the election.
Callers on the programme also raised concerns of alleged irregularities, calling on stakeholders to urgently intervene and resolve the leadership crisis in the INC before it snowball into full blown embarrassment to the Ijaw nation.
