‘Agitation for More State Creation Must Continue’ — Diri

The governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri, on Friday urged the Ijaw ethnic nationality to continue pressing for the creation of additional states, saying the long-standing campaign for constitutional restructuring in Nigeria must persist.

Speaking at the 2026 national convention of the Ijaw National Congress in Yenagoa, Diri said the Ijaw people should sustain their demand for two more states beyond Bayelsa.

He recalled that the ethnic group had historically sought the creation of three states — Oil Rivers, Bayelsa and Toru-Ibe — noting that only Bayelsa had been achieved so far.

“We have tried. Today we have one state, Bayelsa,” Diri said, adding that the agitation for the remaining two states should continue.

The governor said the struggle for greater political representation would continue even if the current generation did not achieve it, stressing that the Niger Delta region had long faced environmental damage and economic challenges despite contributing heavily to Nigeria’s oil-driven economy.

He also reiterated his support for fiscal federalism, describing Nigeria’s current structure as “unitary federalism”, and argued that states would develop faster if they controlled their resources and paid taxes to the federal government.

Diri said he had no preferred candidate among the five contestants seeking the presidency of the Ijaw National Congress, urging delegates to vote in the interest of the ethnic nationality.

He commended the outgoing INC president, Benjamin Okaba, for his leadership and for efforts that led to the admission of the Ijaw nation into the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization.

In his remarks, Okaba called for stronger international engagement in advancing the Ijaw cause, saying the ethnic nationality remained a major contributor to Nigeria’s oil economy despite years of neglect.

READ ALSO:

NCDMB Launches Clinical Skills Lab at Bayelsa Medical University

Ex-Bayelsa Governor, Others Allegedly Channel N835m in Coup Plot Against President Tinubu

Dickson, Diri Recall Loyalty, Service as Tributes Pour in for Late Bayelsa Deputy Governor

He announced new initiatives by the congress, including a territorial mapping project aimed at digitally documenting Ijaw ancestral lands to support environmental monitoring and negotiations over natural resources.

Dignitaries at the event included former Bayelsa deputy governor Peremobowei Ebebi and the speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly Abraham Ingobere, among other government officials and traditional rulers.