Ogoni Nation Rejects Internal Colonial Rule

RIVERS STATE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS: A STAND FOR ECONOMIC JUSTICE, POLITICAL AUTONOMY, AND CONSTITUTIONAL ORDER IN NIGERIA

The Ogoni Central Indigenous Authority (OCIA), the sovereign voice of the Distinct Ogoni Nation (DON), will convene a landmark press conference on Monday, August 25, 2025, to declare its official opposition to the proposed Local Government Elections in Rivers State—a process it categorically rejects as a form of Internal Colonial Rule: unconstitutional, illegitimate, and a direct affront to indigenous self-governance.

What is profoundly disturbing about the forthcoming elections is not merely their procedural irregularity—it is their blatant disregard for the very constitutional and legal frameworks established by the Nigerian state itself. This is not governance. It is a betrayal of democratic principles.

To impose a retired military officer as a so-called “Sole Administrator” over a civilian electoral process is more than a misstep—it is a chilling throwback to the authoritarianism we fought and believed had been buried with the end of military rule. It signals a dangerous erosion of civilian authority and a deliberate attempt to intimidate indigenous communities into submission.

But let it be known: the Ogoni people do not cower before uniforms or titles. We have faced down tanks and tribunals. We have buried our heroes, endured exile, and rebuilt our homeland from the scorched earth of injustice. We are not strangers to struggle—and we are certainly not strangers to triumph.

To ignore Ogoni voices is to misread history. It is to underestimate a people whose identity is forged in resistance, whose culture is rooted in sacrifice, and whose future is anchored in self-governance. We are not a province to be managed. We are a distinct nation with memory, with vision, and with resolve.

Ogoni is not a footnote in Nigeria’s story. We are a visible chapter. And we will not surrender our right to determine our destiny.

Declaration of Sovereignty and Democratic Autonomy

This press conference is not merely a political statement—it is a moral reaffirmation of the Ogoni Self-Government. For decades, the Ogoni people have endured systemic political usurpation, environmental devastation, economic deprivation, and the terror regime of petroleum exploitation.

Today, we speak for ourselves—not in protest to be absorbed into a colonial apparatus, but to assert our right to govern, to protect, and to prosper. The OCIA, backed by its elected institutions and guided by the Ogoni Bill of Rights, Nature Laws, the Charter of the United Nations, and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, affirms its commitment to self-determination and democratic autonomy.

The proposed August 30 elections, orchestrated by a colonial Sole Administrator, represent a brazen violation of indigenous sovereignty and a dangerous erosion of peaceful co-existence. This is not reform—it is recolonization.

The OCIA has already conducted its own transparent, community-led elections across Ogoniland, establishing a legitimate and functioning indigenous government. We do not recognize the authority of any process that denigrates our right to self-determination, silences our voice, disregards our laws, and undermines our sovereignty.

We Reject:

• The politics of puppetry

• The silence of complicity

• The illusion of inclusion

Leadership in Attendance

The press conference will feature a unified front of Ogoni leadership, including:

• Ogoni Traditional Rulers Ruling Council (OTRC)

• Ogoni National Legislative Assembly (ONLA)

• Ogoni Central Electoral Commission (OCEC)

• Ogoni Civil Society Commission (OCSC)

• Council of Ogoni Churches (COC)

• Ogoni Public Security Service (OPSS)

• Ogoni Provincial Governors Association (OPGA)

• Ogoni Village Administrators Council (OVAC)

• Ogoni Financial Management Board (OFMB)

• Ogoni Education System Administrators (OGESA)

• Ogoni Women Leadership Platform (OWLP)

• And other key stakeholders

Event Details

• Date: Monday, August 25, 2025

• Time: 10:00 AM

• Venue: Teyork City Civic Hall, Ogoniland

• Format: In-person & Virtual (Live Q&A and video documentation included)

• Lunch: 12:00 Noon

Media Accreditation & Access

To confirm attendance or request virtual access credentials, please contact: Office of Media Relations Division, OCIA +234-7077096109 -1, 2 Media Relations Director

Final Declaration

This is not a struggle to be part of an illegitimate and self-illusionary system. It is the declaration of an end to colonial rule—external or internal. Ogoni will not be erased. Ogoni will not be silenced. Ogoni will always stand for self-governance.

Signed By:

DR. Goodluck Diigbo

President, Ogoni Central Indigenous Authority (OCIA)