The Indigenous Ijaw and Urhobo ethnic nationalities in the Warri Federal Constituency have clarified that the recent Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) delineation of electoral wards and polling units in Ijaw communities in Warri South Local Government Area, which is part of the area making up the Constituency, is not a new development, but to correct "an obvious injustice" in the LGA.

The Indigenous Ijaw and Urhobo ethnic nationalities made the clarification in a joint statement that 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, Pastor Samuel Ako, and issued in Olabrakonpre Community, Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom, Warri South LGA, on Wednesday, June 24, 2026.

While debunking the claim by some Itsekiris and Urhobos of Agbarha that no Ijaw community exist in Warri South, the Indigenous Ijaw and Urhobo group cited numerous evidences of Ijaw presence and political participation in the LGA to back up their position, and accused the Itsekiris and Agbarha Urhobos of being "blinded by ethnic sentiments that they cannot come to terms with [the] incontrovertible reality of Ijaw presence in Warri South LGA".

Speaking on the issue they said, "The point must be made that, contrary to the false impression created by the unholy alliance of some Itsekiris and Urhobos of Agbarha, the Ijaws have always been part of Warri South LGA politically, but oppressed, suppressed and denied political representation over the years.

"For the avoidance of doubt, in 1955, when the first local administrative structure was established and electoral delineation done in Warri City, the Ijaw people in the present Warri South LGA were included in the Warri Urban District Council together with a section of Urhobo and Itsekiri as defined by Western Region Laws of Nigeria No 177 of 1955. The former Warri Urban District Council constitutes part of the present Warri South LGA. The law created four autonomous electoral wards for the Ijaw people in Warri Township which were– Alders Town B3, Ogbe-Ijoh Ward C1, Ogbe-Ijoh Ward C2 and Government Area F1.

"The 1963 National Census was carried out with this electoral ward structure showing the Ijaw population. The elected Ijaw Councillors remained operational till sometime in 1976, when the Olusegun Obasanjo’s Military Government introduced local Government reforms giving birth to the present Local Government structure.

"The introduction of Local Government Administration and the subsequent delineation of electoral wards in the area concerned led to the balkanization of the hitherto homogenous Ijaw four wards into mere polling units in different wards mainly as minorities. The electoral wards that, the Ijaw settlements were balkanized into before the Supreme Court Ordered delineation of electoral wards in the present Warri South LGA, were Pessu, GRA, Bowen and Okere wards.

"For example, the former Ogbe-Ijoh C1 Ward and Ogbe-Ijoh C2 Ward were suppressed into Pessu Ward as Polling units 14 and 15 (Ogbe-Ijoh Transhall 1 and Ogbe-Ijoh Transhall 11). This balkanization made the Ijaws minorities, politically weak and excluded from the political system by the oppressive Itsekiri hegemony. This oppression tendencies partly spur the litigation that led to the Supreme Court judgment.

"The fact that the Ijaw areas were balkanized into polling units, marginalised and denied of political representation does not mean that the Ijaws do not exist in Warri South Local Government Area before the Supreme Court ordered fresh delineation," they clarified.

Throwing more light, the indigenous Ijaw and Urhobo stated further that, "It is these Ijaw areas previously delineated in 1955 as Alder's Town B3, Ogbe-Ijoh C1, Ogbe-Ijoh C2 and Government Area F1, that the INEC Field Officers assigned to the Ijaw Communities in Warri South LGA visited from the 10th day of July, 2024 to 19th day of July, 2024 and delineated as Bulou-Ama (GRA 2) Ward 02, Ewein Ward 07 and Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Urban Ward 12. Hence, the delineation of electoral wards and polling units to cover the Ijaw settlements in Warri Township is not a new development, but has been in existence for decades. The recent exercise only corrected an obvious injustice where the Ijaws in Warri South LGA are balkanized, delineated into different polling units and denied representation in the Warri South LGA administration.

"Also, in 2003, when the James Ibori administration, as part of its Warri Roadmap to Peace, initiated a meeting of Ijaws, Itsekiris and Urhobos leaders on how to distribute electoral wards in the three Warri Local Government Area, it was agreed that the GRA Ward in Warri South LGA should be for the Ijaws. However, the GRA ward was hijacked from the Ijaws by the Itsekiris led by former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, first as SSG and later as Governor of Delta State.

"Furthermore, we wish to put on record that, the Ijaw Communities that constituted the newly created Ewein, Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Urban and GRA (2) (Bulou-Ama) Ward has always been recognised as communities in Warri South LGA. The law establishing the Communities Development Committee (CDC) 2005 presented by former Governor James Ibori and enacted into law by the Delta State House of Assembly clearly stated Ewein, Ogbe-Ijoh, Perebiri, Lotiebiri, Ikiandumu etc as Ijaw settlements in Warri South LGA.

"To demonstrate Ijaw political participation in Warri South LGA, Hon. (Mrs) Saro Igangan was twice appointed as a member of the Agbarha CDC representing Ijaws in Warri South LGA in 2005 and 2009 respectively by the administration of Former Governors James Ibori and Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan. It is important for the general public to note that, the same Hon. Saro Igangan was earlier appointed as Supervisory Councillor for Agriculture in 1998 in Warri South LGA to represent the Ijaws," they added.

In conclusion, they noted that, "It is also important to note that, Gazette No. 1 of 1999 Establishing the Traditional Rulers Council of Delta State recognised Ijaw as one of the ethnic nationalities in Warri South LGA. The same law recognised the throne of the Ovie of Agbarha Kingdom.

"In addition, there are overwhelming historical, legal, political and physical evidence of Ijaw presence in Warri South LGA as confirmed by Chief Dore Numa, who was the Leader of the Itsekiri people in his letter to the Resident of Warri Province in 1923, the Warri Assessment Report of 1928, Traditional Rulers Law of Delta State, CDC Law of Delta State, 2005, Western Region Law of 1955 etc.

"The intelligence community and government agencies investigated all the frivolous petitions of Itsekiris and Urhobos of Agbarha to the effect that, there are no Ijaws in Warri South LGA and they all turn out to be false and rejected. The presence of Ijaws in Warri South LGA was confirmed by all government agencies and implemented by INEC in its final report of registration areas in Warri South LGA released on 16th June, 2026," they attested.

Clarifying further how the question of whether Ijaw communities are not part of Warri South have been answered, they said, "For the purpose of the Supreme Court ordered fresh delineation of Warri Federal Constituency, the issue of whether the Ijaw people are part of Warri South Local Government Area was raised at a meeting of INEC with stakeholders from Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobos held on 21st day of March, 2024 at Asaba and another meeting of INEC National Leadership with Focal Persons of Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobos at the Government House Annex, Warri, Delta State on the 8th day of July, 2024 prior to the assignment of field workers to the respective settlements within the Warri South Local Government Area.

"The meeting had in attendance two INEC National Commissioners, and it was resolved in the presence of Itsekiri focal persons and Agbarha representative without objection that from available intelligence reports, physical communities on ground and existing electoral polling units, the Ijaw people are integral part of Warri South LGA.

"It was on this basis that, a team of INEC Field Officers were assigned to the Ijaw Communities in Warri South LGA, just as INEC Field Officers were assigned to the Itsekiri and Urhobo Communities in Warri South LGA. Furthermore, the INEC field officers assigned to the Ijaw Communities were the ones who covered the Ijaw settlements constituting the newly created Ewein, Bulouama (GRA 2), Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Urban electoral wards/registration areas.

"The INEC field officers assigned to Itsekiri and Urhobo settlements did not cover any of the communities covered by the Ewein, Bulouama (GRA 2) and Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Urban electoral wards because they are indigenous Ijaw communities / settlements, where the Ijaws resides to the knowledge of all persons and authorities," they clarified.

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