INC rejects Wike’s ‘minority’ tag, reaffirms Ijaw political strength

The Ijaw National Congress (INC) has firmly addressed the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for calling the Ijaws the “minority of minorities.”

In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Ezonebi Oyakemeagbegha, after a crucial meeting and made available to newsmen on Friday, the INC stated that the Minister’s assertion betrays a “lack of intellectual depth.”

The INC spokesman alleged that Wike’s comments were made under the influence of misinformation, stating that, given his eight-year tenure as Governor of Rivers State, he is expected to have a more informed understanding of the state’s history.

He said Wike’s intention to create divisions between the Ijaws and other ethnic nationalities has failed, adding that the INC is aware of his plan to instigate a crisis in the Niger Delta region but vowed to continue maintaining peace and stability.

The INC, however, called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to caution Wike and redirect his focus to his ministerial duties.

Recall that the Minister, while addressing newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday regarding the precarious political crisis in Rivers State—specifically between him, the State Assembly, and Governor Siminalayi Fubara—claimed that an Ijaw man couldn’t have become governor in Rivers State without his support because they are the “minority of minorities.”

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The INC had earlier warned that any attempt to impeach Governor Fubara, who is an Ijaw man, would have dire consequences on the nation’s economy.

Apparently addressing the Minister’s latest outburst, the INC issued a statement that reads in part: “Wike’s assertion that the Ijaws are a minority of minorities betrays a lack of intellectual depth. For the record, the Ijaws are the fourth-largest ethnic group in Nigeria, with over 40 million people, and the oldest tribe in Nigeria, as documented in history. They are the largest ethnic group in Rivers State, with eight local government areas, and also not a minority in Delta.

“We suspect that Wike’s comments were made under the influence of misinformation and otherwise. The Ijaws have consistently advocated for fairness and equity in the Niger Delta region and the South-South, and we will not be swayed by individual attempts to provoke us.”

The INC stated that it remains committed to preserving the harmony enjoyed by all in the Niger Delta region.