By John Ovie, YENAGOA
A front line presidential candidate for the Ijaw National Congress (INC) National Executive Council (NEC) election, Timi Ogoriba has commended the Conference for Ijaw Traditional Rulers and Elders (CITRE) for nullifying the controversial April 13th election held at the Izon House in Yenagoa Bayelsa state.
Ogoriba, who is one of the three presidential candidates that boycotted the disputed INC election, made the commendation during a press conference in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa state capital.
The INC presidential candidate who hails from Odi town in Kolokuma/Opokuma local government area of Bayelsa state, emphasized that going by the constitution of the INC, CITRE’s decision is final regarding resolution of disputes including elections related issues.
The Ijaw rights activist said he boycotted the April 13th INC election because CITRE gave an order stopping the election and set up a 7-man committee to resolve disputes arising from the process, stressing that he could not have flouted an order from the highest decision making body of INC.
“CITRE is the highest decision making body of Congress and if in their wisdom, they sent out clear-cut instructions, then l have no other choice than to obey because section 22 (C&D) of the INC constitution states that -the inauguration shall be conducted by National Conference of Ijaw Traditional Rulers and Elders (N-CITRE) -the inauguration meetings shall be presided over by one of the traditional rulers present, chosen by the Traditional Rulers and Elders.
“Therefore, if I go against their instructions, will they be there to inaugurate me?,” he clarified.
On his position on the disputed election, Ogoriba said “N-CITRE’s pronouncement is ongoing and it is sacrosanct and it behooves on every Izon patriot to look onto N-CITRE while allowing the 7-man committee to conclude their assignment for N-CITRE to act upon.
” By this press conference, I am calling on all Izon true patriots to condemn this display of anomie and rise to stand behind N-CITRE and ensure that a proper INC election is rescheduled and conducted after the resolution of the disputes.
“I and my teeming supporters will back N-CITRE and we will not allow our highly respected N-CITRE to be ignored with impunity. We therefore encourage and ensure everyone that we will stand with and by N-CITRE to ensure that our nation is cleansed of the already displayed rascality.”
