By Joy Yesufu
The Supreme Egbesu Assembly (SEA) has instituted legal action against the Federal Government and the National Assembly over the demand for the creation of additional local government areas in Bayelsa State and control of natural resources in the Ijaw territory.
The in a statement said the suit was filed at the Federal High Court in Yenagoa following the expiration of a 21-day ultimatum it had earlier issued to the authorities.
The statement was signed my the Pioneer President of the Ijaw youths network has Council, and newly elected 1st Vice President of the Ijaw National Congress, Dr Felix Tuodolo, the Founder of SEA, Mr Weri Digifa and seven others.
The group noted that it had, on February 12, 2026, formally written to the Federal Government and the National Assembly, demanding the creation of 24 additional local government areas in Bayelsa State, alongside greater control of natural resources.
According to the SEA, the failure of the government to respond within the stipulated timeframe prompted the legal action.
“Having received no response after 21 days, we have proceeded to seek redress in court. The matter has now come up for its first hearing,” the group said.
The assembly argued that the agitation for additional local government areas in Bayelsa predates the creation of the state, accusing the National Assembly of failing to act despite what it described as compliance with constitutional requirements.
It further decried the current structure, noting that Bayelsa State has only eight local government areas, a situation it described as unjust, particularly given the state’s status as a major oil-producing area
The group pointed out that the state already operates 24 Rural Development Authorities, which it said could be converted into full-fledged local government areas to promote grassroots development and equitable allocation of resources.
On resource control, the SEA said its legal action was part of a long-standing struggle for economic justice in the Niger Delta.
It argued that oil-producing communities should have greater control over their natural resources, as was practiced in the First Republic, when regions managed their resources and contributed a percentage to the national purse.
“Nigeria can no longer sustain a system where those who contribute significantly to the national economy are denied control over their resources,” the statement added.
The group called on Ijaw communities and other stakeholders in the Niger Delta to support the legal process, urging them to remain peaceful and law-abiding.
