Leaders of Ijaw and Urhobo ethnic nationalities in the Warri Federal Constituency have revealed what transpired in the meeting that held in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other stakeholders to resolve the issues surrounding the implementation of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) fresh ward delineation report earlier released by the Commission to stakeholders on May 20, 2026.

The leaders made the revelation during a briefing of the press and members of their constituents on the current outcome of the agitation in Warri, Delta State, on Sunday, June 14, 2026.

The account as contained in their joint press statement was signed on behalf of the Ijaw and the Urhobo by Chief Godspower Gbenekama, Olorogun Victor Okumagba, Chief Denbo-denbofa Oweikporodor, Chief John Eranvor, Chief Arthur Akpodubakaye, Chief David Reje, and Hon. Samuel Ako.

Recall that the INEC report, a product of the Commission's fieldwork that was executed in obedience to a Supreme Court judgement arising from Appeal No. S/413/2016: Hon. George U. Timinimi & 9 Ors v. INEC, delivered 2/12/2022, has been rejected and contested by the Itsekiri.

In their joint statement the leaders revealed the gains from the INEC submitted report of May 20, 2026, to include the creation of 20 Registration Areas/Electoral Wards in the three LGAs, an additional state constituencies (House of Assembly seats) each for Warri North and Warri South West LGAs, and the recommendation of the creation of additional Warri Federal Constituency II to cover Warri North and Warri South West LGAs, while Warri South would be covered by Warri Federal Constituency I.

According to the leaders, "INEC also promised to immediately direct political parties to conduct primaries to nominate candidates to conduct the 2027 general elections in the newly created state constituencies. This decision was welcome and applauded by majority of the stakeholders of Warri Federal Constituency and we the Ijaw and Urhobo people of Warri expressed our acceptance of the decision in our press briefing on the 21st of May, 2026 in this same venue.

"However, after the announcement of the report by INEC, the implementation was halted by a Presidential Directive," the leaders claimed, an action that led to intensified peaceful agitation as the leaders protested the decision of the Presidency on June 1, 2026, in Warri, and on June 2, 2026, at the INEC's office in Asaba, the state capital. Back in the Constituency, women groups mobilised across oil flow stations in the creeks and in the process shut down their operations, thereby halting crude oil production, posing a threat to Nigeria's production output in the oil and gas industry.

"These actions caught the attention of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR who in consultation with the Executive Governor of Delta State, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, called for an emergency meeting with stakeholders of the Warri Federal Constituency on Thursday, the 11th day of June, 2026 at the Presidential Villa," the leaders stated.

MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT

According to the leaders, in attendance at the meeting is President Tinubu, Governor of Delta State, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori; the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; the Director of the Directorate of State Security Services, Mr. Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi; Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and representatives of the INEC. The Ijaws were represented by a former deputy governor, His Excellency, Dcn. Kingsley Otuaro, and Dr. Eric K. Omare; the Itsekiris by A. S. Mene and Chief Robinson Ariyo, while the Urhobos by Olorogun Victor Okumagba and Chief Westham Adehor.

Narrating what transpired, they said, "The President at the meeting, drawing inspiration from the National Anthem, called on the Ijaws, Itsekiris and Urhobos of Warri to see themselves as brothers and sisters, though language and tongues may differ. Mr. President called for accommodation and compromise by all the stakeholders in other to achieve sustainable peace in the Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State.

"Specifically on the report of the Supreme Court ordered delineation of the Warri Federal Constituency presented by INEC on 20/5/2026, President Tinubu stated that, his consultation with the Governor of Delta State and other relevant government agencies is to the effect that, the problem was in the composition of Electoral Wards in Warri South West Local Government Area and that, there was need for re-adjustment of the INEC report of Electoral Wards created in Warri South-West Local Government as between the Ijaws and Itsekiris to a ratio of Eleven (11) to the Ijaws and 9 (Nine) to the Itsekiris," they added 

However, the leaders claimed that "The INEC report of 20th May, 2026, on Registration Areas/Electoral Wards composition/structure for Warri North and Warri South Local Government Areas was not discussed and remained untouched," during the meeting.

"Mr. President further directed that there should be Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on power sharing and rotation in the Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State. In this respect, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, and two representatives each from Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo were directed to draft the Memorandum of Understanding on Power Sharing and Rotation in the Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State.

"The directive of President Tinubu was accepted by representatives of Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo Ethnic Nationalities, who thank the President for the timely and high-level intervention and promised to work with the NSA to come up with the MOU on Power Sharing/Rotation in the Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State."

AFTERMATH OF MEETING WITH TINUBU

The leadership of the Ijaw and Urhobo accused the Itsekiri of attempts to truncate the peace process on matters of sharing formula and power rotation despite its outcome with the Presidency, an action they claimed was a disrespect to the office of the President.

They said, "Further to the directive of the President, the representatives of Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo of Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State met with the NSA, Nuhu Ribadu with the Director of the State Security Services in attendance to draft and sign the MOU on Power Sharing and Rotation of Officers on June 12, 2026 at the NSA Conference Room, Office of the NSA, Abuja.

"At the meeting, representatives of the ethnic nationalities were asked to present their proposal for power sharing in the Warri Federal Constituency. The Ijaws and Urhobos in response proposed for the sharing/rotation of the House of Representatives Seats for Warri Federal Constituency 1 and Warri Federal Constituency 11, the Chairmanship of Warri North, Warri South West and Warri South Local Government Areas and appointment of Commissioners in all the three Local Government Areas to be rotated/shared.

"However, the Itsekiris in response opposed the inclusion of rotation of Warri Federal Constituency 1, Chairmanship of the three Warri Local Government Areas and Commissioner appointment on the basis that the Presidential Directive applies to only the rotation of the proposed Warri Federal Constituency 11 and that the other issues are within the constitutional authority of the Delta State Government to mediate.

"We state that, this was an obvious ploy by the Itsekiris to truncate the Presidential intervention and signing of MOU to resolve the issues arising from the implementation of the Supreme Court ordered fresh delineation of Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State. We must state that, the conduct of the Itsekiri delegation was a complete disrespect to the Person and Office of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces who called for holistic power sharing in the Warri Federal Constituency without exceptions for sustainable peace," they stressed

COUNTING THEIR LOSSES

The two ethnic groups disclosed that their acceptance of the altered INEC report of May 20, 2026, was out of respect for the President, but labeled it as injustice as the cumulative results showed that the Ijaws in the three Warri LGAs have been reduced from 27 to 24 Registration Areas/Electoral Wards, while the Itsekiris have been increased from 21 to 27 through Presidential and Political interventions, which goes against the reality on ground.

"In the circumstances, the Ijaws and Urhobos of Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State on the advise of the National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu and as mark of respect for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu agreed to entering the Memorandum of Understanding in respect of the area of agreement which is the proposed Warri Federal Constituency 11 to enable the completion of the Supreme Court ordered fresh delineation process considering the time table for the conduct of the 2027 general elections set by INEC.

"The Ijaws and Urhobos of Warri wish to state clearly that we accepted the Presidential intervention on the alteration to the Registration Areas / Electoral Wards composition/structure for Warri South West LGA not because we are satisfied, but as mark of respect for the highest office in the land, the office of President and Commander-in-Chief.

"It would be recalled that, the INEC raw field report recommended only Four (4) Registration Areas/Electoral Wards for Itsekiris in Warri South West LGA because of their small population and communities and Fourteen (14) for the Ijaws who are the obvious majority with about Seventy-Five percent (75%) of the population, landmass and communities in Warri South West LGA. However, through political interventions and appeal for accommodation, the Itsekiri areas with only four wards from the field report has been increased to Nine (9) Registration Areas / Electoral Wards. This is an obvious injustice and a very bitter pill to take by the Ijaw people.

"In the same vein, the Itsekiri areas in Warri North LGA had only eight Registration Areas / Electoral Wards in the field report. However, the eight electoral wards have been increased to Ten (10) Registration Areas / Electoral Wards through political interventions and compromises.

"Cumulatively, the Ijaw Registration Areas in the three Warri Local Government Areas have been reduced from Twenty-Seven (27) Registration Areas/Electoral Wards proposed in the INEC field report of 4/4/2025 which reflects the reality on ground to Twenty-Four (24). While, the Itsekiri Registration Areas/Electoral Wards have been increased from Twenty-One (21) to Twenty-Seven (27) through Presidential and Political interventions. The Urhobo areas remain at Nine (9) Registration Areas recommended by the INEC field report of 4/4/2025. This obviously is injustice against the Ijaws and Urhobos of Warri," the leaders lamented.

View more photos of the briefing on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Eam6efBsU/

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