INEC Delineation Final: Ijaw, Urhobo leaders reject Itsekiri-Agbarha statement, affirm Ijaw presence in Warri South

Ijaw and Urhobo leaders of Warri have rejected a joint press statement by some Itsekiri and Agbarha Urhobo groups, insisting the INEC final report on Warri Federal Constituency delineation is binding and that Ijaws are an integral part of Warri South Local Government Area.

In a press briefing held Tuesday, the leaders responded to the June 19 statement which questioned INEC’s new registration areas/wards and the status of Ijaws in Warri South LGA following President Bola Tinubu’s intervention in the Supreme Court-ordered delineation.
 
The leaders said President Tinubu’s directive was clear and limited to Warri South West LGA and general power-sharing across the three Warri LGAs, not to changing ward names in Warri South LGA.

“The President’s directive and stakeholders’ agreement on INEC’s registration areas have since been implemented. INEC released the final composition of registration areas on June 16, 2026. The Supreme Court-ordered delineation of Warri Federal Constituency has been concluded,” they stated.

They commended INEC for complying with the stakeholders’ agreement but alleged that the presidential intervention on power-sharing in Warri South LGA was frustrated by the Itsekiri delegation at a mediation meeting on June 12, 2026 at the NSA’s office in Abuja.

According to them, the presidential directive covered all positions in Warri Federal Constituency, including Warri South LGA under Warri Federal Constituency 1, not just the proposed Warri Federal Constituency 11. They said Olorogun Victor Okumagba and Chief Westham Adehor were nominated by Urhobo to negotiate Warri South power-sharing but were “frustrated out” by the Itsekiri delegation.

“It is ridiculous and disgraceful for some Urhobos from Agbarha Kingdom to join the Itsekiri to undermine Urhobo interest in Warri South LGA in order to perpetrate Itsekiri dominance,” the leaders said.

Addressing claims that no Ijaw community exists in Warri South LGA, the leaders described it as “an ugly lie” that has been repeatedly rejected by government agencies.

They cited INEC meetings on March 21, 2024 in Asaba and July 8, 2024 in Warri where, with Itsekiri and Agbarha representatives present and without objection, it was resolved based on intelligence reports and existing polling units that Ijaws are part of Warri South LGA. 

INEC field officers were then assigned to Ijaw, Itsekiri, and Urhobo communities. The officers assigned to Ijaw areas covered the newly created Ewein Ward 07, Bulou-Ama (GRA 2) Ward 02, and Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Urban Ward 12, they said.

The leaders traced Ijaw political inclusion to 1955 when the Western Region Law No. 177 created four Ijaw wards in Warri Township — Alder’s Town B3, Ogbe-Ijoh C1, Ogbe-Ijoh C2, and Government Area F1 — under the Warri Urban District Council. They said the 1963 census used that structure and Ijaw councillors served until 1976 when military reforms balkanized Ijaw areas into polling units in Pessu, GRA, Bowen, and Okere wards, making them political minorities.

“INEC field officers visited these same Ijaw areas from July 10-19, 2024 and delineated them as Bulou-Ama (GRA 2), Ewein, and Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Urban. The recent exercise only corrected an obvious injustice,” they added.

They also cited the 2005 Delta State CDC Law which recognized Ewein, Ogbe-Ijoh, Perebiri, Lotiebiri, and Ikiandumu as Ijaw settlements, and noted that Hon. Saro Igangan represented Ijaws as Supervisory Councillor in 1998 and as Agbarha CDC member in 2005 and 2009.

On geography, they argued that Ewein Community is less than 20 metres from Warri Township across a canal, while some Itsekiri communities 5km away on the other side of the river are still regarded as part of Warri South LGA.

“The Gazette No. 1 of 1999 establishing the Delta State Traditional Rulers Council recognized Ijaws as one of the ethnic nationalities in Warri South LGA,” they stated, adding that intelligence and government investigations had dismissed petitions denying Ijaw presence.

The leaders said Ijaw and Urhobo were not satisfied with the eight registration areas allocated to Itsekiri in Warri South LGA considering their population, but accepted INEC’s final report out of respect for the President. 

“The fact that Itsekiri are still agitating despite a presidential intervention that altered the final delineation in their favour demonstrates an insatiable urge to dominate,” they said.

They urged the Federal Government and INEC to disregard the Agbarha-Itsekiri statement and conduct special voter registration in all newly created polling units and registration areas in Warri Federal Constituency ahead of 2027 elections to enable transfers and registration of previously disenfranchised voters.

The briefing was signed by Alaowei Denbo-Denbofa Oweikpodor, Olorogun Victor Okumagba, Chief Godspower Gbenekama, Chief John Eranvor, Chief Arthur Akpodubakaye, Chief Femi Okumagba, Chief David Reje, and Pastor Samuel Ako.