Former President of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Legborsi Pyagbara, has declared that oil production cannot resume in Ogoniland unless concerns over political marginalization and exclusion are addressed.
Pyagbara made this known on Tuesday May 26, 2026 during a media parley with journalists in Port Harcourt, where he criticized the political establishment in Rivers State for sidelining the Ogoni people from top leadership positions despite their significant contributions to the state and the nation’s economy.
The environmental rights advocate, who also serves as Executive Director of the African Foundation for Energy and Sustainable Development, stressed that the Ogoni people would no longer tolerate a system where their natural resources are exploited without corresponding political inclusion.
“There cannot be any oil resumption in Ogoniland if the issue of Ogoni political interest is not addressed.”
“You cannot like our oil and refuse to like our political representation. You cannot talk about taking oil when you feel we cannot be politically included in the political space,” he stated.
He maintained that as one of the major ethnic nationalities in Rivers State, the Ogoni people should not be relegated to subordinate roles in the political structure.
“We cannot be in Rivers State and remain servants in Rivers State. We cannot be a major ethnic group and remain political servants to others,” he said.
Pyagbara also warned against what he described as the growing dominance of a single ethnic bloc in the state’s political landscape, insisting that all ethnic groups must be treated as equal stakeholders.
“All ethnic persons in this state are equal citizens. We cannot build a hegemony of one ethnic community above the other, and one person cannot assume himself to be the political overlord of Rivers State. That is not acceptable,” he added.
He emphasised that the demand for political inclusion and equity by the Ogoni people is now non-negotiable, cautioning that any move to resume oil exploration without addressing these concerns would amount to injustice.
According to him, the Ogoni people are becoming more politically aware and would no longer allow themselves to be used merely as tools during elections.
Pyagbara further warned politicians of Ogoni extraction against prioritising personal ambitions over the collective interest of the people.
He disclosed that he and other stakeholders are prepared to support any political platform willing to back the emergence of an Ogoni governor in Rivers State, regardless of party affiliation.
“If other political parties feel Ogoni cannot produce the governor, then we have no alternative than to throw our support behind whoever is willing to support that aspiration.”
“I will use all that I have to provide support to that person, whether we win or lose. We must make a statement through that,” he said.