Ijaws Of Warri South Back INEC Delineation, Reject Itsekiri Claims

The Ijaw people of Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State have endorsed the final report of the Supreme Court-ordered delineation of electoral wards and polling units in the Warri Federal Constituency, describing the exercise as a reflection of the “reality on ground.”

The position was made known during a press briefing held at Ogbe-Ijoh, Warri, on May 24, 2026, following the release of the final delineation report by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on May 20, 2026.

Addressing journalists, leaders of the Ijaw community said the briefing became necessary to clarify what they described as “misleading narratives” allegedly being promoted by some neighbouring ethnic groups, particularly the Itsekiri ethnic nationality, over the outcome of the delineation exercise.

The Ijaw leaders commended INEC for what they termed a thorough and transparent process, noting that the creation and recognition of Ijaw electoral wards and registration areas in Warri South aligned with the wishes and aspirations of the people.

“We the Ijaw people of Warri South welcome the final report of the fresh delineation exercise released by INEC. The report, to a very large extent, reflects the reality on ground,” the group stated.

They also expressed satisfaction with the delineation of Ijaw electoral wards into Warri South Constituency II of the Delta State House of Assembly.

The group rejected claims that the Ijaw people of Ogbe-Ijoh are not part of Warri South Local Government Area, insisting that historical records, electoral structures and legal instruments clearly establish their presence and ownership in the area.

According to the group, the issue had earlier been raised by Itsekiri representatives during stakeholders’ meetings organised by INEC, but was resolved after consultations involving INEC national commissioners and representatives of the Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo ethnic nationalities.

The Ijaw leaders maintained that INEC field officers specifically covered Ijaw communities during the delineation exercise, leading to the creation of wards such as Bulou-Ama, Ewein and Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Urban.

They further cited historical documents, including the 1928 Warri Township Assessment Report and the 1955 Western Region laws establishing the then Warri Urban District Council, as evidence that Ogbe-Ijoh was among the earliest settlements in present-day Warri Township.

According to them, the Ijaw people previously had four autonomous electoral wards before the 1976 local government reforms allegedly fragmented their political structure into minority polling units across other wards.

“The fact that the Ijaw areas were balkanised into polling units and politically weakened does not mean the Ijaws do not exist in Warri South Local Government Area,” the statement noted.

The Ijaw community also accused certain political interests of attempting to frustrate the implementation of the Supreme Court judgment on fresh delineation.

The group specifically criticised Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, alleging that she had been influenced by ethnic interests in efforts to oppose the delineation process.

They warned that any attempt to undermine the delineation exercise could trigger avoidable tensions in the Warri area.

The community leaders urged the First Lady to remain neutral and focus on promoting peace, unity and development across all ethnic nationalities in Warri.

Call for More Electoral Wards

While commending INEC for concluding the exercise despite several court cases, the Ijaw leaders argued that their population and historical presence justify the creation of additional electoral wards and state constituencies in Warri South.

They maintained that if the Ijaws had four electoral wards as far back as 1955, it would only be fair for the number to increase decades later due to population growth and expansion of settlements.

The group therefore called on INEC to disregard what it described as frivolous protests against the delineation exercise and proceed with full implementation of the final report.

The statement was signed on behalf of the Ijaws of Warri South Local Government Area by Hon. Denbo-Denbofa Oweikpodor (Ijaw Focal Person), Chief M. Keme, and Comrade Moses Fiyebor.