Warri Delineation: Ijaw Leaders in Warri South Blame First Lady, Others of Interference, Commend INEC

By Joseph Bienbo, Warri

Stakeholders of the Ijaw ethnic group in Warri South LGA have thrown their weight behind the final outcome of the Supreme Court-mandated ward delineation conducted by INEC, calling it credible, comprehensive, and true to the situation on the ground.

In a press briefing at Warri May 23, 2026, the leaders and stakeholders also alleged that certain Itsekiri figures and influential politicians, including First Lady Oluremi Tinubu and former Senator Daisy Danjuma, tried to derail the rollout of the exercise in Warri Federal Constituency.

Their position was outlined in a press statement released by the Ijaws of Warri South LGA and signed by Hon. Denbo-Denbofa Oweikpodor, Ijaw Focal Person, and Comrade Moses Fiyebor. The briefing took place at Warri’s main market in Warri South LGA on Saturday, following INEC’s release of the final delineation report on 20th May 2026. The report was issued in line with the Supreme Court ruling in Suit No. SC/413/2016: Hon. George U. Timinimi & Ors v. INEC.

Speaking at the press briefing in Ogbe-Ijoh, the Ijaw representatives said they accepted the report made public by INEC in Asaba, noting that the commission carried out a meticulous exercise.

“The Ijaw people of Warri South accept the final report of the fresh delineation exercise presented to stakeholders in Asaba on Wednesday, 20th May 2026,” the statement said.
“The INEC report largely reflects the realities on ground, and we commend the commission for its thorough work. We also endorse the inclusion of Ijaw electoral wards and registration areas into the Warri South Constituency II of the Delta State House of Assembly.”

The group said it was important to address what it called false narratives being pushed by Itsekiri groups regarding the existence and status of Ijaw communities in Warri South LGA.

According to the leaders, some Itsekiri groups had been claiming that the Ijaw residents of Ogbe-Ijoh are not part of Warri South LGA.

The leaders said INEC had already resolved the matter during stakeholder meetings it organized. At a July 8, 2024 meeting at the Government House Annex in Warri involving INEC and representatives of the Ijaw, Itsekiri, and Urhobo groups, it was agreed that the Ijaw are an integral part of Warri South LGA based on intelligence reports, existing settlements, and polling units.

INEC later deployed field officers specifically to Ijaw communities between July 10 and 19, 2024, the group said.
Those officers covered areas now grouped into the new Ewein Ward 07, Bulou-Ama Ward 02, Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Urban Ward 12, and parts of GRA Ward 08.

The leaders argued that the creation of wards in their areas is not new, but a restoration of arrangements that existed before the 1976 local government reforms.

They cited the 1955 Western Region Laws of Nigeria No. 177, which established the Warri Urban District Council and recognized four autonomous Ijaw wards: Alders Town B3, Ogbe-Ijoh Ward C1, Ogbe-Ijoh Ward C2, and Government Area F1.

The group also pointed to the 1928 Warri Township Assessment Report by Mr. Prethoroe, which described Ogbe-Ijoh as the original settlement around which Warri developed.

Quoting the report, they said: “The original settlement, which in due course became the nucleus around which the population settled, was known as OGBE-IJOH.”
They added that a 1923 letter from Chief Dore Numa to the Resident of Warri Province further confirms the historical presence of Ijaw people in the area.

The leaders said the 1976 restructuring of local government areas split the once-homogenous Ijaw wards into smaller polling units spread across Pessu, GRA, Bowen, and Okere wards.
They claimed this weakened their political voice and reduced their participation in local governance.

“The fragmentation of Ijaw areas into polling units, and the marginalization that followed, does not erase the fact that Ijaws exist and live in Warri South LGA,” the statement read.

The group maintained that multiple laws and court decisions have recognized Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom as separate from Itsekiri areas within Warri.
They referenced the Chiefs Law of 1957, the 1979 Bendel State Traditional Rulers and Chiefs Edict, and the Delta State Traditional Rulers, Chiefs and Council Law, all of which recognize the Amaokosu of Ogbe-Ijoh as the prescribed authority over Ogbe-Ijoh land and people.

They also cited Appeal No. CA/AS/441/2016, decided on 5 June 2023, which they said affirmed the distinct identity of Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom within Warri metropolis.

On claims that the Itsekiri secured court victories over Ogbe-Ijoh land, the leaders said no judgment exists granting the Itsekiri radical title over Ijaw territory in Warri metropolis or elsewhere.

“The Itsekiris have no judgment against the Ijaws of Ogbe-Ijoh that gives them a radical title over Ogbe-Ijoh lands in Warri metropolis or anywhere else,” they stated.

The leaders further alleged that the First Lady and Senator Danjuma attempted to pressure INEC to cancel the new wards allocated to Ijaw communities in Warri South.

“The First Lady has been leading efforts to frustrate the Supreme Court-ordered delineation and deny Ijaws in general, and those in Warri South LGA in particular, the right to have their own electoral wards and registration areas,” the statement alleged.

They cautioned that reversing the exercise could spark tension and disrupt peace in Warri, recalling the 1997-2003 Warri crisis that followed the relocation of the Warri South-West LGA headquarters from Ogbe-Ijoh to Ogidigben.

“If care is not taken, the actions of the First Lady and Senator Danjuma could produce a similar outcome,” the group warned.

The Ijaw leaders urged Senator Remi Tinubu to use her position to advance development and harmony among Warri’s ethnic groups instead of pursuing what they described as an Itsekiri agenda.

They commended INEC for completing the delineation despite ongoing legal challenges. However, they argued that their communities should have received more wards than INEC created. Since they had four wards as far back as 1955, they said it was only reasonable for the number to rise over time.

“We call for the creation of additional electoral wards and a state constituency for Ijaws in Warri South LGA, and we urge INEC to disregard baseless protests against the delineation exercise in the area,” the statement concluded.