The Supreme Egbesu Assembly (SEA) has instituted a legal action against the Federal Government and the National Assembly over longstanding demands for the creation of additional local government areas in Bayelsa State and control of natural resources in Ijaw territory.
In a press statement issued on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, the group said the move followed the failure of the authorities to respond to its earlier demands within a 21-day ultimatum.
“Recall that on 12th February 2026, we did inform you that we have written to the National Assembly and the Federal Government on the need for the creation of additional 24 Local Government Areas in Bayelsa State as well as the control of our God given natural resources in the Ijaw territory,” the statement read.
“We promised that if the National and /or Federal Government does not respond to these age-long demands we were going to seek legal actions to address our demands. We gave a time frame of twenty-one days for them to respond to us, we got no response!”
The SEA disclosed that the matter is now before the Federal High Court in Yenagoa, where the first hearing of the suits with cash file FHC/YNG/CS/63/2026 has already taken place.
“Today the Supreme Egbesu Assembly (SEA) has kept to its promise. We instituted an action at the Federal High Court Yenagoa against the National Assembly and the Federal Government after the expiration of the 21 days. Today we were in court for the first hearing of both cases,” it stated.
The group stressed that agitation for more LGAs in Bayelsa predates the state’s creation, accusing the National Assembly of failing to act despite the state meeting constitutional requirements.
“We note that the discussion for the creation of additional local government areas for Bayelsa state is as old as the creation of the State itself,” the statement added.
“We have over the years call on the Federal Government particularly the National Assembly over the deliberate refusal to deliberate, approved and amend the relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) inspite of the state fulfilling the requirements in line with the Constitution.”
Describing the current structure as unjust, the group said: “We note that there is no where in any democracy where a state is limited to just 8 LGAs: more pathetic is the fact that Bayelsa State is an oil bearing State.”
According to the SEA, the state’s 24 Rural Development Authorities could be converted into full-fledged local government areas to promote equity and development.
“Bayelsa State presently has twenty four Rural Development Authorities (RDA) which can be easily converted to Local Government areas thereby making the State eligible to participate in the sharing of allocation and the development of their areas for the purpose of justice and equity,” it said.
On resource control, the group described the suit as a continuation of a long-standing struggle.
“We wish to inform that our suit on Resource Control is a revival of our age long agitation,” the statement noted.
“Nigeria can no longer operate a system where contributors to the national coffers are not in charge of their resources.”
Drawing historical parallels, the SEA argued that regions previously managed their resources and contributed to the national purse.
“In the earlier Republic in this country, we see where the owners of the resources, e.g, groundnut and cocoa, manage their own resources and contributes certain percentage to the national coffers. That was the way it was.”
The group maintained that legal action was necessary to secure economic justice for the Ijaw people.
“We have therefore chosen to take this legal step for our people. The Ijaw Nation must be free from all economic strangulation carried out against them by successive Governments,” it added.
The SEA also called for solidarity among Ijaw communities and other stakeholders.
“We call on all Ijaws to be steadfast and resolute, and continue to support the process by attending all court sessions. Your solidary is very vital at this point of time in our history.”
“We are also calling on other Ijaw organizations, communities, Niger Delta people / organizations and all people of goodwill to join us in this march to control and manage our despoiled and mismanaged natural resources.
