Ijaws and Urhobos Meet President Tinubu on Warri Federal Constituency Issues

IJAW AND URHOBO PEOPLE OF WARRI FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY IN DELTA STATE

June 14, 2026

PRESS BRIEFING BY IJAW AND URHOBO LEADERS OF WARRI FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY ON THEIR MEETING WITH PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU ON JUNE 11, 2026 AT THE PRESIDENTIAL VILLA.

Protocols

1. Gentlemen of the Press, you may remember that on May 20, 2026, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) released a report for a new delineation of Warri Federal Constituency in Delta State.
2. The Commission established Twenty (20) Registration Areas or Electoral Wards across Warri North, Warri South, and Warri South West Local Government Areas.
3. It also created new state constituencies for Warri North and Warri South West and suggested a new Warri Federal Constituency 11 to cover those areas while Warri South would be under Warri Federal Constituency 1.
4. INEC promised to tell political parties to hold primaries for candidates in the new constituencies for the 2027 general elections.
5. Most stakeholders in Warri Federal Constituency welcomed this decision. We, the Ijaw and Urhobo people of Warri, expressed our support during our press briefing on May 21, 2026, at the same venue.
6. But after INEC announced the report, a Presidential Directive stopped the implementation.
7. This led to protests from the Ijaw and Urhobo people, demanding immediate action on the May 20, 2026 delineation report by INEC.
8. These protests included peaceful demonstrations by Ijaw and Urhobo Women, Youths, and other stakeholders, as well as peaceful occupations of Oil and Gas Flow Stations and blockades of the Escravos River.
9. This situation drew the attention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who, after discussing with Delta State Governor Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, called for an emergency meeting with Warri Federal Constituency stakeholders on June 11, 2026, at the Presidential Villa.
10. Attendees included the President, the Governor of Delta State, the National Security Adviser, the Director of State Security Services, the Chief of Staff to the President, and a representative from INEC.
11. During the meeting, President Tinubu, inspired by the National Anthem, urged the Ijaws, Itsekiris, and Urhobos of Warri to see each other as family despite language differences. He called for cooperation from all stakeholders to achieve lasting peace in Warri Federal Constituency.
12. Concerning the Supreme Court ordered delineation report from INEC on May 20, 2026, President Tinubu said his talks with the Governor and other agencies showed that there were issues with the Electoral Wards in Warri South West, needing adjustments between the Ijaws and Itsekiris to a ratio of Eleven (11) for the Ijaws and Nine (9) for the Itsekiris.
13. The INEC report from May 20, 2026 regarding Registration Areas and Electoral Wards for Warri North and Warri South was not discussed and remained unchanged.
14. The President also instructed that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding power sharing and rotation be created for Warri Federal Constituency. The National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, and two representatives each from Ijaw, Itsekiri, and Urhobo were tasked with drafting this MOU.
15. This directive from President Tinubu was accepted by representatives of Ijaw, Itsekiri, and Urhobo ethnic groups, who thanked the President for his timely intervention and promised to collaborate with the NSA to finalize the MOU.
16. Following the President's directive, the representatives from Ijaw, Itsekiri, and Urhobo met with the NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, and the Director of State Security Services on June 12, 2026, to draft and sign the MOU on Power Sharing and Rotation at the NSA's office in Abuja.
17. For clarity, the Ijaws were represented by His Excellency, Dcn. Kingsley Otuaro, and Dr. Eric K. Omare; the Itsekiris by A. S. Mene and Chief Robinson Ariyo; and the Urhobos by Olorogun Victor Okumagba and Chief Westham Adehor.
18. During the meeting, the ethnic groups were asked to present proposals for power sharing in Warri Federal Constituency. The Ijaws and Urhobos proposed sharing the House of Representatives seats for Warri Federal Constituency 1 and Warri Federal Constituency 11, as well as the Chairmanship of Warri North, Warri South West, and Warri South Local Government Areas, and rotating the appointment of Commissioners in these areas.
19. But the Itsekiris opposed the inclusion of rotating Warri Federal Constituency 1, the Chairmanship of the three Local Government Areas, and Commissioner appointments. They argued that the Presidential directive only applied to rotating the proposed Warri Federal Constituency 11 and that other issues should be handled by the Delta State Government.
20. We believe this was a clear attempt by the Itsekiri delegation to disrupt the Presidential intervention and signing of the MOU to resolve issues from the Supreme Court ordered delineation of Warri Federal Constituency.
21. We also feel that the Itsekiri delegation's actions showed a lack of respect for the President and Commander-in-Chief who called for comprehensive power sharing in Warri Federal Constituency without exceptions for lasting peace.
22. In light of this, the Ijaws and Urhobos of Warri Federal Constituency, on the advice of the National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, and as a sign of respect for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, agreed to enter the MOU regarding the area of agreement, which is the proposed Warri Federal Constituency 11. This will allow the completion of the Supreme Court ordered delineation process, considering INEC's timetable for the 2027 general elections.
23. OUR OBSERVATIONS
24. The Ijaws and Urhobos of Warri want to make it clear that we accepted the Presidential intervention on the changes to the Registration Areas and Electoral Wards in Warri South West LGA not because we are happy, but out of respect for the President’s office.
25. Remember, the INEC field report recommended only Four (4) Registration Areas/Electoral Wards for Itsekiris in Warri South West LGA due to their smaller population. In contrast, Fourteen (14) for the Ijaws who make up about Seventy-Five percent (75%) of the population and land in Warri South West LGA.
26. Yet, through political efforts, the Itsekiri areas with just four wards from the field report have been increased to Nine (9) Registration Areas/Electoral Wards. This is clearly unjust and very difficult for the Ijaw people to accept.
27. Similarly, Itsekiri areas in Warri North LGA had only eight wards in the field report. However, this has been increased to Ten (10) through political deals.
28. Overall, the Ijaw Registration Areas in the three Warri Local Government Areas have been cut from Twenty-Seven (27) proposed in the INEC field report of April 4, 2025, to Twenty-Four (24). Meanwhile, the Itsekiri Registration Areas have grown from Twenty-One (21) to Twenty-Seven (27) due to Presidential and political actions, while the Urhobo areas stay at Nine (9) as per the INEC field report of April 4, 2025. This is a clear injustice against the Ijaws and Urhobos of Warri.
29. OUR POSITION GOING FORWARD
30. Given all that has happened, the Ijaws and Urhobos of Warri firmly state that:
31. We have reluctantly accepted the President's intervention regarding the changes to the Registration Areas and Electoral Wards in Warri South West LGA as a sign of respect for the President and for peace.
32. We will not accept ANY FURTHER changes to the INEC delineation report shared with stakeholders on May 20, 2026, regarding the Registration Areas and Electoral Wards Composition between the different ethnic groups, names of Registration Areas, Polling Units Composition, or any other changes to the report.

• INEC must not make any changes to the May 20, 2026 report in any way or under any circumstances.

1. We see that the Itsekiris are still not satisfied even after the political changes that favored them.
2. We urge INEC to upload the report of the Registration Areas and Polling Units to its portal quickly and start special registration and transfer of voters to the new Registration Areas and Polling Units in Warri Federal Constituency.
3. In conclusion, any further delay in implementing the delineation report or attempts to change it would betray the trust of the Federal Government and INEC, and we cannot be held responsible for any consequences that may arise.

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