Indigenous Ijaw and Urhobo Leaders of Warri Federal Constituency Issue Joint Press Briefing
On June 14, 2026, indigenous Ijaw and Urhobo leaders of Warri Federal Constituency in Delta State held a joint press briefing regarding the stakeholders' meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa on June 11, 2026. The briefing addressed the ongoing dispute over the Supreme Court-ordered fresh delineation of the constituency.
Background of the Delineation
On May 20, 2026, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) released the report of the Supreme Court-ordered fresh delineation of Warri Federal Constituency. The commission created twenty Registration Areas/Electoral Wards across Warri North, Warri South, and Warri South West Local Government Areas. INEC also recommended the creation of an additional Warri Federal Constituency 11 covering Warri North and Warri South West, while Warri South would be covered by Warri Federal Constituency 1. The decision was initially welcomed by majority stakeholders, including the Ijaw and Urhobo people.
Presidential Intervention and Meeting
However, implementation was halted by a presidential directive, leading to peaceful protests by Ijaw and Urhobo women, youths, and stakeholders, including the occupation of oil and gas flow stations and blockade of the Escravos River. This prompted President Tinubu, in consultation with Delta State Governor Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, to call an emergency meeting on June 11, 2026. The meeting included the President, Governor, National Security Adviser, DSS Director, Chief of Staff, and an INEC representative.
President Tinubu called for accommodation and compromise, specifically noting the need to adjust the composition of electoral wards in Warri South West LGA between Ijaws and Itsekiris to a ratio of 11 to 9 in favor of Ijaws. The INEC report for Warri North and Warri South remained unchanged. He also directed the drafting of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on power sharing and rotation in the Warri Federal Constituency.
MOU Drafting Meeting
On June 12, 2026, representatives of Ijaw, Itsekiri, and Urhobo met with National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu to draft the MOU. Ijaw representatives proposed rotating the House of Representatives seats for Warri Federal Constituencies 1 and 11, chairmanship of the three local government areas, and commissioner appointments. Itsekiri representatives opposed the inclusion of Warri Federal Constituency 1, chairmanship, and commissioner appointments, arguing that the presidential directive only applied to Warri Federal Constituency 11 and that other issues fell under state government authority.
The Ijaw and Urhobo leaders accused the Itsekiri delegation of disrespecting the President and attempting to truncate the intervention. On the advice of the NSA, they agreed to sign the MOU only on the area of agreement—Warri Federal Constituency 11—to allow the delineation process to proceed ahead of the 2027 elections.
Observations and Injustice Claims
The Ijaw and Urhobo leaders stated that they accepted the presidential alteration to the electoral wards in Warri South West LGA only as a mark of respect for the President, not because they were satisfied. They noted that the INEC field report recommended only four wards for Itsekiris in Warri South West due to their small population, but political interventions increased it to nine. Similarly, Itsekiri wards in Warri North increased from eight to ten. Cumulatively, Ijaw wards were reduced from 27 to 24, while Itsekiri wards increased from 21 to 27, with Urhobo wards remaining at nine. They described this as an obvious injustice.
Position Going Forward
The Ijaw and Urhobo leaders declared that they would not accept any further alterations to the INEC delineation report of May 20, 2026, regarding ward composition, names, or polling unit assignments. They called on INEC to upload the report to its portal and commence special voter registration and transfer without delay. They warned that any further delay or alteration would be a betrayal of trust by the federal government and INEC, and they should not be blamed for the consequences.
The briefing was signed by Chief Godspower Gbenekama, Olorogun Victor Okumagba, Chief Denbo-Denbofa Oweikporodor, Chief John Eranvor, Chief Arthur Akpodubakaye, Chief David Reje Samuel Ako, and Chief Okumagba Sylvester Femi, on behalf of the Ijaws and Urhobos of Warri Federal Constituency.
