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Leading Vice Presidential aspirant of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), in the March 7th, 2026 national executive council polls of the apex sociocultural organization of the Ijaw ethnic group, Chief Ezonebi Oyakemeagbegha has reassured his willigness to align with other well-meaning stakeholders to expedite the creation of other homogeneous Ijaw states.
He said cardinal in his manifesto is the struggle to ensure that Toru-Ebe and Oil Rivers states are created from the Eastern and Western zones of the INC.
Oyakemeagbegha who is also the outgoing National Publicity Secretary of the organization gave the assurances while addressing newsmen in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital on Tuesday shortly after a closed door meeting with stakeholders.
He insisted that the rationale behind his drive for the creation of the new states was to consolidate on the achievements of the Prof. Benjamin Okaba-led outgoing national executive council (NEC) of the INC.
The aspirant described Ijaw as the 4th largest ethnic group in the nation, stressing that for too long Ijaws have been so marginalized and neglected in the comity of ethnic nationslities in the country.
He further emphasized that Ijaw land has for decades been the goose that lays the golden fleece, noting that while it territories were balkanized across various parts of the nation, her people and land have continued to sustain peace and the mainstay of the country’s economy.
He said: “Recall that my father, the late Chief J. O Oyakemeagbegha was the pioneer Chairman of the Toru-Ebe State creation movement.
“Today I stand as the outgoing Publicity Secretary of the INC, and leading aspirant for the position of its first Vice President in the March 7th, 2026 national executive council elections”.
He added: “One of the major items in my manifesto is to consolidate on the achievements of the outgoing NEC, and also take the clamour for the creation of additional states for the Ijaw nation, especially our long awaited Toru-Ebe and Oil Rivers States to the highest order.
“I believe that when elected as Vice President, in consultation with other stakeholders and lovers of truth, because Izon means truth, we’ll take the struggle for the creation of the two additional homogeneous Ijaw States to the next level and even succeed as quickly as possible.
“When that is done, it’s our believe that our fathers and ancestors will be very happy and proud of us”.
