The Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division, has struck out a suit challenging the outcome of the Ijaw National Congress (INC) national election conducted on April 13, 2026, under the chairmanship of HRM Justice Dr. F. F. Tabai (Rtd.). Having cleared that preliminary hurdle, the Court proceeded to determine the substantive appeal and resolved all the issues in favour of the Appellants. The Court of Appeal also held that the internal dispute resolution mechanism prescribed by the Constitution of the Ijaw National Congress had not been exhausted before recourse was made to the Court. “Consequently, the entire proceedings conducted by the High Court of Bayelsa State in Suit No. BYHC/YHC/CV/134/2026 pending before the Bayelsa State High Court is hereby struck out for want of jurisdiction,” the judge held.