LG Poll: Ijaws in Warri South West warn Itsekiri to respect gentleman agreement

By Stephen Asaba-ase

The Ijaws in Warri South West local government Area in Delta State have called on the attention of His Excellency, Elder Sheriff Oborevwori, the Governor of Delta State to warn desperate politicians to thread on the path of peace to avoid political upheaval in Warri South-West Local Government Area.

According to a press briefing by Comrade Nathaniel Oromoni, one of the youth leaders in Ogbe-Ijo community and others, on 11th April 2024, there had been a template of rotational arrangement reached between the Itsekiri and the Ijaws in Warri South-West local government Area to shuffle the LGA chairmanship and other positions in the council.

The protesters maintained that anything sort of that is an action against the peace accord that was signed long time ago between the Ijaws and itsekiris. Therefore, history is reached and it is a checkpoint for Warri South-West local government Area to continue to uphold the tenet of the gentleman agreement. However, desperate politicians are severely warned not to truncate the process, so as to avoid political turmoil in the Local Government Area.

The angry protesters said the Itsekiris have ruled for two terms as council chairman, noting that it is now an Ijaw turn to rule as council chairman for the next two terms based on the gentleman rotational agreement.

Speaking further, they said, “we are calling on the political and traditional leadership on good fate at both sides not to be used by desperate politicians. The Itsekiri aspirants are not in anyway a threat to the Ijaw aspirants but their aspiration is against the rotational arrangement that as kept us peaceful for this long. Therefore, the Governor should as a matter of urgency caution these political and ethnic bigots not to impose an itsekiri candidate on us.

“We are equally calling on DISIEC to create a conducive environment for all political parties to have a say for a free, fair and credible election in the Warri South-West LGA”, he added.

The protesters further appealed to the governor of Delta State, Sheriff Oborewori to urgently include Warri South West and other Riverine communities in his sustainable development agenda, adding that the Riverine communities had begun to experience unhealthy political exclusion in his development agenda.