‘No Ijaws in Warri South’ – Itsekiri/Urhobo Leaders Declare

Leaders of the Itsekiri ethnic nationality and Urhobo people of Warri South Local Government Area have declared that there are no Ijaw communities in Warri South, accusing some Ijaw and Okere Urhobo groups of spreading misinformation over President Bola Tinubu’s intervention in the contentious Warri delineation dispute.

In a joint press statement issued on Friday, the groups said reports credited to Ijaw leader Chief Godspower Gbenekama and Okere Urhobo leader Chief Victor Okumagba misrepresented the outcome of a June 11 meeting convened by President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

According to the statement, the President did not make any final pronouncement on the broader delineation issues, but only directed Itsekiri and Ijaw representatives to work out a mutually acceptable power rotation arrangement for Warri North and Warri South-West local government areas.

The Itsekiri and Urhobo leaders further alleged that three newly created wards in the GRA area of Warri South were wrongly allocated to the Ijaw ethnic group, despite assurances during the presidential mediation process that the error would be corrected.

They expressed disappointment that the corrections allegedly agreed upon during the mediation have not been reflected in the delineation details uploaded by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The groups called on INEC to immediately review and correct the names, structure and allocation of the disputed wards, warning that failure to do so could force them to return to court.

The leaders, however, reaffirmed their commitment to peaceful dialogue and urged all stakeholders to avoid actions capable of escalating tensions in the Warri Federal Constituency.