Ijaw, Urhobo Stakeholders Reveal Outcome of Presidential Meeting with Tinubu on Warri Federal Constituency,

By Egbemavoice,

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has intervened in the Warri Federal Constituency delineation dispute, directing a review of the electoral ward composition in Warri South-West Local Government Area and initiating a power-sharing framework among the Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo ethnic nationalities.

According to stakeholders who attended the high-level meeting at the Presidential Villa on June 11, 2026, the President emphasized the need for peace, accommodation and compromise among the various ethnic groups in Warri Federal Constituency. Drawing inspiration from the National Anthem, President Tinubu urged all parties to regard themselves as brothers and sisters united by a common destiny despite differences in language and culture.

The President noted that the issue requiring attention was the composition of electoral wards in Warri South-West Local Government Area. He therefore directed an adjustment of the INEC ward structure to reflect a ratio of eleven wards for the Ijaws and nine wards for the Itsekiris. He further clarified that the INEC report of May 20, 2026 concerning Registration Areas and Electoral Wards in Warri North and Warri South Local Government Areas was neither discussed nor altered and remains intact.

As part of efforts to ensure lasting peace and political stability in the region, President Tinubu directed the drafting of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on power sharing and rotation of political offices within the Warri Federal Constituency. The National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, alongside representatives of the Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo ethnic nationalities, was mandated to facilitate the process.

Stakeholders from the three ethnic groups welcomed the President's intervention, describing it as timely and crucial to maintaining harmony within the constituency. They pledged their commitment to working together towards a mutually beneficial agreement that would promote peace, inclusion and sustainable development.

In compliance with the presidential directive, representatives of the Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo communities met with the National Security Adviser and officials of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Abuja on June 12, 2026, to commence discussions and finalize the proposed Memorandum of Understanding on power sharing and rotation.

The intervention is widely viewed as a significant step toward addressing long-standing political concerns in the Warri Federal Constituency and strengthening peaceful coexistence among its diverse ethnic communities. 

INDIGENOUS IJAWS AND URHOBOS OF WARRI FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY OF DELTA STATE

June 14, 2026

JOINT PRESS BRIEFING BY INDIGENOUS IJAW AND URHOBO LEADERS OF WARRI FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY OF DELTA STATE ON THE MEETING OF STAKEHOLDERS WITH PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU, GCFR PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA ON THURSDAY, THE 11TH DAY OF JUNE, 2026 AT THE PRESIDENTIAL VILLA. 

Protocols

Gentlemen of the Press would recall that on the 20th day of May, 2026, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), released the report of the Supreme Court ordered fresh delineation of Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State to stakeholders at Asaba.

The Commission created Twenty (20) Registration Areas/Electoral Wards in Warri North, Warri South and Warri South West Local Government Areas of Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State.

It also created additional state constituencies for Warri North and Warri South West Local Government Areas and recommended the creation of additional Warri Federal Constituency 11 to cover Warri North and Warri South West Local Government Areas, while Warri South would be covered by Warri Federal Constituency 1. 

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.

This gave rise to agitations by the Ijaw and Urhobo people of Warri, calling for immediate implementation of the May 20, 2026 delineation report by INEC. 

The agitations lead to peaceful protests by Ijaw and Urhobo Women, Youths and other Stakeholders across the Warri Federal Constituency and peaceful occupation of Oil and Gas Flow Stations and the blockade of the Escravos River.

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 meeting had in attendance the President and Commander-in-Chief, the Governor of Delta State, National Security Adviser, the Director of the Directorate of State Security Services, Chief of State to the President and representative of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

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 tough 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. 

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. 

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.

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.

For the records, the Ijaws were represented by His Excellency, Dcn. Kingsley Otuaro and Dr. Eric K. Omare; Itsekiris represented by A. S. Mene and Chief Robinson Ariyo and Urhobos by Olorogun Victor Okumagba and Chief Westham Adehor.

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. 

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.

OUR OBSERVATIONS

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. 

OUR POSITION GOING FORWARD

In the light of the foregoing, the firm and irrevocable position of the Ijaws and Urhobos of Warri is as follows:

That we have reluctantly accepted the intervention of the President and Commander-in-Chief in respect of the alteration to the Registration Areas/Electoral Wards in Warri South West Local Government Area as mark of respect for the President and in the interest of peace.

That we would not accept ANY FURTHER alteration to the INEC’s delineation report presented to stakeholders on the 20th day of May, 2025 with respect to the Registration Areas/Electoral Wards Composition between the ethnic nationalities in the different Local Government Areas, names of Registration Areas, Polling Units Composition or any other form of alteration to the report.

INEC must not do any alteration to the May 20, 2026 report in any form whatsoever and under any circumstances. 

We note that the Itsekiris are still unsatisfied despite the political interventions that have altered the INEC delineation report in their favour. 

We call on INEC to upload the report of the Registrations Areas/Polling Units into its portal without further delay and commence a special registration and transfer of voters to the newly created Registration Areas and Polling Units in the Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State.

We state in conclusion that any further delay in the implementation of the delineation report and attempt to alter the report would amount to betray of trust by the Federal Government and INEC, and we should not be blamed for the likely consequences that would follow.  

SIGNED FOR AND ON BEHALF OF THE IJAWS AND URHOBOS OF WARRI FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY OF DELTA STATE:

CHIEF GODSPOWER GBENEKAMA ------------------------------

OLOROGUN VICTOR OKUMAGBA--------------------------------

CHIEF DENBO-DENBOFA OWEIKPORODOR------------------

CHIEF JOHN ERANVOR -------------------------------

CHIEF ARTHUR AKPODUBAKAYE --------------------------------

CHIEF DAVID REJE -------------------------------------

HON. SAMUEL AKO

COPY TO;

PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU, GCFR, 

PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF,

ASO ROCK VILLA, ABUJA.

RT. HON. SHERIFF OBOREVWORI,

EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR OF DELTA STATE

MALAM NUHU RIBADU,

NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER,

OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER,

ABUJA

MR. OLUWATOSIN ADEOLA AJAYI,

DIRECTOR, STATE SECURITY SERVICES,

DIRECTORATE OF STATE SECURITY SERVICES,

ABUJA.