Welcomes Delegates to Bayelsa, Urges Them to Vote According to Their Conscience
A leading candidate for the office of Secretary-General of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, Barr. Ayebakuro Igbeta, Ph.D., has expressed profound gratitude to the Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, for what he described as the Governor’s fatherly and neutral role ahead of the 2026 IYC National Elections.
Igbeta, speaking alongside his Campaign Council and supporters, commended Governor Diri for refusing to impose or endorse any preferred candidate in the forthcoming election, saying the Governor’s position has strengthened confidence in a free, fair and democratic process.
In a statement made available to newsmen, Igbeta praised the Governor’s handling of recent issues within the Council, describing his intervention as a demonstration of leadership, wisdom and commitment to the peace and unity of the Ijaw nation.
He particularly applauded the Governor for convening a meeting of Ijaw stakeholders to address emerging concerns and find lasting and sustainable solutions to issues that could have threatened the unity and stability of the IYC.
According to Igbeta, Governor Diri’s neutrality in the 2026 IYC National Elections, scheduled to hold at Toru-Ndoro Community in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, has helped create an atmosphere in which delegates can freely determine the leadership of the Council.
The Secretary-General candidate said that, unlike in some previous elections where allegations of government-backed candidates dominated the process, the present administration has resisted the temptation to anoint or impose candidates on the Ijaw people.
He maintained that the development has brought greater decency and credibility to the electoral process and has guaranteed a genuinely democratic outcome in which voting delegates alone will decide the winners of the various positions.
Igbeta also assured the Prosperity Administration that all candidates contesting offices zoned to the Central Zone are sons and daughters of the government and the Ijaw nation, stressing that Governor Diri remains a winner regardless of the eventual outcome of the elections.
He further welcomed delegates from other zones and chapters of the IYC to Bayelsa State, which he described as the “Jerusalem of the Ijaw Nation,” and wished them a peaceful, memorable and satisfying experience during the elective convention.
The statement urged delegates not to be intimidated or influenced by claims from any candidate or group suggesting that they represent the interest of the Bayelsa State Government.
Igbeta insisted that the Governor Douye Diri-led Prosperity Administration has made its position clear and unambiguous by supporting a truly democratic process without any favourite or anointed candidate for any office.
He therefore called on delegates to vote according to their conscience and convictions, guided by their commitment to the progress, unity and development of the Ijaw nation.
“The delegates should feel free to cast their votes according to the dictates of their conscience and convictions. There is nothing like a government candidate. His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri, has demonstrated that he wants a truly democratic process where the choice of the delegates will prevail,” the statement said.
Igbeta also called on the Electoral Committee (ELECO) to remain impartial and discharge its responsibilities without fear or favour, expressing confidence that a transparent process would further strengthen the unity and credibility of the Ijaw Youth Council Worldwide.