Warri Delineation: Ogbe-Ijoh Oil Producing Communities Decry Injustice, Demand 8 Wards

By Osaro Michael, Benin

Leadership of the Ogbe-Ijoh Oil Producing Communities in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State has decried injustice in the proposed Warri federal constituency delineation exercise being embarked upon by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), citing that it was provocative and an act of injustice for the allocation of two political wards for the kingdom.

The press statement was signed on behalf of the OGBE-IJOH OIL PRODUCING COMMUNITIES by
DCN. CLEMENT TEKEDOR,
CHIEF SAMSON OYIMI,
NEWMAN KUSIMI and
HON. JOHNBULL ANIYANGHAN.

The statement titled “PRESS BRIEFING BY OGBE-IJOH KINGDOM OIL PRODUCING COMMUNITIES ON THE INEC FIELD REPORT ON THE SUPREME COURT ORDERED FRESH DELINEATION IN WARRI FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY ON THE 8TH DAY OF JULY, 2025 said,
“Gentlemen of the Press, we welcome you to this press briefing by the Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom Oil Producing Communities in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State taking place here in Tekedor/Kusimi Community, also known as Egwa 11 Community. Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom Oil Producing Communities are host to the Ajuju/Batan oil field, Egwa 11 oil field and flowstation, Odidi 1 and 11 oilfields, Ikremo manifold, Ugbanabubou field, and flow stations.

“We called this press briefing in view of latest developments as it affects the Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom and its oil producing Communities in the ongoing Supreme Court ordered fresh delineation of electoral wards and polling units in the Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the 4th day of April, 2025 released its interim report on the fresh delineation. To the utmost surprise of the Ogbe-Ijoh people, out of the nineteen (19) Registration Areas/Electoral Wards proposed for the Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State, only two (2) was allocated to Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom, while nine (9) was allocated to Gbaramatu Kingdom, five (5) to Itsekiri Communities, two (2) to Isaba Kingdom and one (1) to Diebiri Clan.

“In addition, Ogbe-Ijoh Oil Producing Communities with existing polling units like Tekedor/Kusimi were suppressed, including in their places in the map that was drawn up by INEC. Other Ogbe-Ijoh oil producing communities suppressed are Kusimi, Eweregbene, Boubougbene, Dudueghagbene and Dubelegbene.

“It is important to note that, the Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom by the records of the National Population Commission (NPC) has the highest population, landmass and settlements/communities in Warri South West Local Government Area. Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom settlements and communities constitute One Hundred and Sixteen (116) Localities (after removing Diebiri Clan) out of the Two Hundred and Ninety (290) Localities in the entire Warri South West Local Government in the National Population Commission (NPC) Housing and Locality Enumeration Report, 2023, which represents about 40% of the entire local government area.
During the field work, INEC officials visited One Hundred and Thirty (130) Communities/Localities and identified Two Hundred and Fifty-One (251) points for creation of polling units in Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom.

“INEC in its Guidelines/Criteria for the fresh delineation released on the 21st of March, 2024 before the field work, stated that, population, geographical compactness and contiguity shall form the basis of the fresh delineation in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022.

“However, the interim report released by INEC runs contrary to all the Criteria contained in its Guidelines on the fresh delineation, especially the population which is the foundation for the fresh delineation of registration areas.
Despite Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom, having the highest population of about 40%, we were allocated only two (2) out of the nineteen (19) Registration areas/electoral wards proposed for Warri South West LGA. The question, we are asking INEC is, what criteria did you use in allocating Registration Areas/Electoral Wards in Warri South West LGA? How did INEC arrive at the decision to allocate only two (2) Registration Areas/Electoral Wards to Ogbe-Ijoh?

“On the contrary, the available records by the National Population Commission which is the body empowered to keep records of population, localities and housing data in Nigeria shows that, Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom is more populated with actual localities/communities than all other Kingdoms and ethnic groups in Warri South West Local Government Area.

“It is more worrisome that, the Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom and its Oil Producing Communities have separately written to INEC to address the gross and monumental injustice against us. However, some powerful persons in INEC who in the first place carried out this act of injustice against Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom are frustrating efforts at addressing this act of wickedness. The process of addressing complaints arising from the field work is still being controlled by the same persons who carried out the injustice in the first place.

“We are aware that, these powerful officers of INEC are working with some political stakeholders in Warri South West Local Government Area. The purpose is to politically decimate and dominate the Ogbe-Ijoh people. We reject this act of wickedness and we shall use every means at our disposal to fight for justice. The Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom and its oil producing Communities WILL NOT and WILL NEVER accept this injustice.

“Consequent upon the foregoing, we hereby resolved and called on INEC Chairman as follows:
We totally reject INEC’s proposal on the allocation of nineteen (19) registration areas/electoral wards in Warri South West LGA to the respective communities/kingdoms.
The Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom with the highest population, landmass and communities deserve eight (8) Registration Areas/Electoral Wards out of the Nineteen (19) Registration Areas in Warri South West Local Government Area in line with INEC’s Guidelines/Criteria for the fresh delineation.

“We call on the Chairman of INEC to address this act of gross and wicked injustice against the Ogbe-Ijoh people of Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State.
We shall be forced to take our destiny into our hands and cannot guarantee the further flow of oil and gas from our communities, if the injustice against us is not addressed. We will shut down oil and gas facilities in our communities, if this grave injustice against us is not addressed”.