Breaking
Warri Ijaw Leaders Defend INEC Ward Delineation, Commend INEC for a Thorough Job.
Says Ogbe-Ijoh-Warri deserved more than three wards in Warri-South Local Government Area.
By Favour Bibaikefie
Leaders of the Ogbe-Ijoh (Ijaw) community have addressed recent protests by Itsekiri groups over the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) fresh delineation of electoral wards in Warri South Local Government Area. In a press briefing held on April 11, 2025, Ogbe-Ijoh representatives reaffirmed their historical and legal presence in Warri South, citing court rulings and decades-old electoral structures. They condemned claims excluding them from the area and urged INEC to ignore such objections. Calling for at least five homogenous wards, they emphasized the need for fair representation and the creation of a dedicated Ijaw state constituency.
Read full Press Statement:
“PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OGBE-IJOH PEOPLE ON THE PROPOSED FRESH DELINEATION OF ELECTORAL WARDS/POLLING UNITS IN WARRI SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF DELTA STATE BY THE INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION (INEC) IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SUPREME COURT JUDGMENT ON FRESH DELINEATION AND MATTERS THERETO
“Since the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the 4th of April, 2025 released the report of its Fieldwork on the proposed delineation of electoral wards and polling units in the Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State, the Ogbe-Ijoh (Ijaw) people have noticed with keen interest series of protests by the Itseikiri and their allies in both print and electronic media including arguing that, the Ogbe-Ijoh (Ijaw) people are not part of Warri South Local Government. This press briefing is to clear this ignorance and set the records straight.
It is important to note with specific reference to the Supreme Court ordered delineation that, the issue of whether the Ogbe-Ijoh (Ijaw) people are part of Warri South Local Government Area or not was raised at the INEC stakeholders meeting by the Itsekiris, reflected in the minutes of stakeholders meetings and it was dealt with by the stakeholders in the said meetings by resolving that from available intelligence reports, legal documents, physical communities on ground and existing electoral polling units, the Ogbe-Ijoh (Ijaw) people are integral part of Warri South Local Government, but denied electoral representation by not having homogenous electoral wards of their own, but balkanised into different polling units in different wards in Warri South LGA. The Itsekiris too admitted this fact.
It was on this basis that, at the stakeholders meeting of Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo held on 8th of July, 2024 at Government House Annex, Warri preparatory to starting the Fieldwork in Warri South LGA, a team of INEC Field Officers were assigned to the Ijaw areas in Warri South LGA, just as INEC Field Officers were assigned to the Itsekiri and Urhobo areas. Furthermore, the INEC field officers assigned to the Ijaw areas were the only ones who covered the Ijaw areas covered by the proposed Ewein, Bulouama, Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Urban and part of GRA wards of Warri South LGA. The INEC field officers assigned to Itsekiri and Urhobo areas did not and could not have covered these areas because they are indigenous Ijaw communities, where the Ijaws resides to the knowledge of all persons and authorities. These facts are known to the Itsekiri leaders and especially those who participated in the INEC fieldwork, but are not telling the public.
“For historical purposes and to educate younger Itsekiri people who do not know the founding history of Warri, Ogbe-Ijoh is recorded as the first settlement in the present Warri Urban along the Ogbe-Ijoh-Warri River (otherwise known as the Warri anchorage) in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State. Indeed, the present Warri started from Ogbe-Ijoh. In 1955, when the first local administrative structure was established and electoral delineation done in Warri Urban, the Ogbe-Ijoh (Ijaw) people were included in the Warri Urban District Council together with a section of Urhobo and Itsekiri as defined by Western Region Laws of Nigeria No 177 of 1955. The said law created four autonomous electoral wards for the Ijaw people of Ogbe-Ijoh, which were– Alders town B3, Ogbe-Ijoh Ward C1, Ogbe-Ijoh Ward C2 and Government Area F1. This structure with elected Ogbe-Ijoh Councillors remained operational till sometime in 1976, when the Olusegun Obasanjo’s Military Government introduced local Government reforms giving birth to the present local Government structure. The defunct Warri Urban District Council is today known as the Warri South Local Government Council.
“It is important to note that, before the introduction of Local Government administration, there were Seven (7) District Councils in the Warri area, including the Warri Urban District Council, which was only the Warri main City. But the Ode-Itsekiri District Council which was not part of the Warri Urban District Council was included to make up the present Warri South LGA.
“The introduction of Local Government Administration and the subsequent delineation of electoral wards in the area concerned led to the balkanization of the hitherto homogenous Ijaw fours in Warri South LGA into mere polling units in different wards mainly as minorities. The electoral wards that, the Ogbe-Ijoh people were balkanized into before the Supreme Court Ordered delineation of electoral wards were Pessu, GRA, Bowen and Okere wards. The Ogbe-Ijoh areas were balkanized into these electoral wards and thereby making them minorities and politically weak. Since the 1976 balkanization of our homogenous four electoral wards, we have always protested and made known to successive electoral bodies of the need to balance the lopsided electoral wards in Warri South Local Government without much success before a group of patriotic Ijaw men sought legal redress leading to the celebrated Supreme Court judgement in December 2nd, 2022.
“It is these Ijaw areas previously delineated in 1955 as Alder’s town B2, Ogbe-Ijoh C1, Ogbe-Ijoh C2 and Government area F1, that the INEC Field Officers assigned to the Ijaw areas visited and delineated as Bulou-Ama Ward 02, Ewein Ward 07 and Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Urban Ward 12 and the part of Ogbe-Ijoh areas in the GRA Ward 08. Hence, the delineation of electoral wards and polling units to cover the Ijaw areas in Warri Urban is not a new development, but has been in existence for decades even before those protesting were born. The recent exercise only seeks to correct an obvious injustice where the Ijaws in Warri South LGA are delineated into different polling units and denied representation in the Warri South LGA administration.
“We wish to state further that, contrary to the false impression been created by the Itsekiris, the Ijaw areas have always been separated from the Itsekiri areas in Warri Urban. It is for this reason that, the Chiefs Law of 1957, CAP 19, provides that, the authority of the Itsekiri monarch, the Olu of Warri excludes Ogbe-Ijoh Areas. The 1979 Bendel State Traditional Rulers and Chiefs Edict, B.S.L.N 44, described the Amaokosu of Ogbe-Ijoh as the prescribed authority of Ogbe-Ijoh lands and people in Warri metropolis. This meant that, all the lands of the Ijaw of Ogbe-Ijoh are excluded from claims by the Itsekiri people.
“Furthermore, the Delta State Traditional Rulers, Chiefs and Council Law, Vol. 3, now cap T3 Laws of Delta State, 2006 recognizes four Clans in Warri Metropolis: Itsekiri Kingdom, where the Olu is the prescribed authority, Okere-Urhobo Kingdom where the Orosuen of Okere-Urhobo is the prescribed authority, Agbassa Kingdom where the Ovie of Agbarha is the prescribed authority and the Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom where the Amaokosu of Ogbe-Ijoh is the prescribed authority of Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom in Warri metropolis.
The purpose of the above laws is to the effect that, the Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom and their lands in Warri metropolis in Warri South Local Government Area are excluded from the claim of the Itsekiri people. This position has been confirmed by the Court of Appeal in Appeal No CA/AS/441/2016 in a judgement delivered on the 5th of June, 2023.
“In conclusion, we commend the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for being able to commence the delineation process despite series of litigation against the Commission by the Itseikiri. We also commend the Commission in Warri South Local Government for being fair to all the ethnic nationalities and stakeholders. However, the Ogbe-Ijoh people state that, their areas should have been delineated into atleast five homogenous electoral wards. If the Ogbe-Ijoh people had four electoral wards as far back as 1955, it is only fair for the number to be increased decades after. We therefore call for the creation of more electoral wards for Ijaws in Warri Urban and also urge the Independent National Electoral Commission to disregard frivolous protests against the delineation exercise in Warri South LGA by the Itsekiris.
“We wish to call on the INEC for creation of additional wards and state Constituency for the Ijaws of Warri South. This is predicated on the ground that the Itsekiris and Urhobos already have their own Constituencies in the Warri South.”
Sign for Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom:
Hon. Denbo-Denbofa Oweikpodor,
(Ijaw Focal Person)
Chief M. Keme,
Comrade Moses Fiyebor.
By Favour Bibaikefie
In a significant development from Port Harcourt, the Federal High Court has dismissed a lawsuit seeking to unseat 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who were accused of switching party allegiance.
The suit, filed by the Labour Party, called for the removal of the lawmakers from office over their alleged defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Presiding over the matter, Justice Emmanuel A. Obile issued the ruling on Tuesday, effectively ending the legal challenge.
The decision was confirmed by Martins Nwachukwu, a media aide to Speaker Martins Amaewhule—one of the lawmakers at the center of the controversy—through a social media announcement.
During court proceedings, lawyers representing the lawmakers urged the court to strike out the case, referencing a recent ruling by the Supreme Court. They presented a Certified True Copy of the apex court’s judgment, which they argued validated Amaewhule’s leadership of the Assembly. The defense also pointed out that Governor Siminalayi Fubara had already withdrawn similar allegations in a related case before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
However, Clifford Chukwu, counsel for the Labour Party, maintained that the matter of defection was still a valid legal concern. He described it as a “collateral matter” and insisted the court should proceed, citing evidence already submitted in the case.
As of now, this remains a developing story, with political observers closely watching the implications for the ongoing power struggle in Rivers State.
By Divine Perezide
The Nigeria Maritime University (NMU), Okerenkoko, has confirmed the appointment of Dr. Paul Bebenimibo as the institution’s new Registrar, along with two other individuals filling vital administrative roles.
The appointments were made during the university’s 21st Governing Council meeting held on April 15, 2025, in Warri, Delta State.
Joining Dr. Bebenimibo in these new leadership positions are Abduldayan Fatimah Jibril, who has been named University Librarian, and Gbe Tamaraudebaemi Justin, who takes up the role of Bursar.
Before this appointment, Dr. Bebenimibo was the Head of the Department of Broadcasting, Journalism and Media Studies at Delta State University, Abraka. He is widely respected as a seasoned academic and administrator, bringing a wealth of experience in managing higher education institutions.
He also previously served as the Commissioner representing the Ijaw Ethnic Nationality at the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC). His reputation for integrity, commitment, and academic excellence played a pivotal role in his selection.
The process leading to the appointments was described as competitive and transparent, overseen by an eight-member interview panel established by the university.
In an official statement, the Chairman and Pro-Chancellor of the Governing Council, Abdullahi Bardi, emphasized that the selections were carried out in line with the university’s statutory guidelines.
Bardi noted his optimism about the future of the university under the leadership of the new appointees, stating: “Their wealth of experience and professionalism would significantly bolster the continued growth and development of the Nigeria Maritime University.”
The appointments mark a significant step in the university’s efforts to strengthen its administrative leadership and academic direction.
By Divine Perezide
In a dramatic turn of events in Rivers State’s ongoing political saga, Vice Admiral (Rtd.) Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, CFR—the state’s Sole Administrator—has formally summoned suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Dr. Ngozi Ordu, to appear before him at the Government House in Port Harcourt.
The summons, made public through a special announcement signed by Prof. Ibibia Lucky Worika, Secretary to the State Government, was released on Tuesday. According to the statement, the meeting is part of an official inquiry focused on appointments made during Fubara’s administration over the last two years.
Governor Fubara has been instructed to bring forward all relevant documentation detailing appointments carried out under his leadership, including the justifications and processes involved. The statement also notes that the inquiry will offer Fubara an opportunity to “provide a clear and detailed explanation as to why he believes he should be reinstated to office.”
The session is scheduled for Friday, April 18, 2025, at 10:00 a.m., and will take place in the Conference Room of the Rivers State Government House. Both Fubara and his deputy are required to be present in person.
The directive, described as mandatory, is part of what Ibas calls a broader effort to ensure good governance in the state. The announcement underscores the administrator’s commitment to “restore transparency, accountability, and lasting peace in the governance of Rivers State.”
The complete statement reads:
RIVERS GOVERNMENT SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
“The Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral (Rtd.) Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, CFR, has formally summoned the suspended Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, and his Deputy, Dr. Ngozi Ordu, to appear before him for an inquiry into the appointments made under their administration over the past two years.
“Sir Fubara is directed to present all relevant documents and records pertaining to appointments, including justifications and procedures followed during his tenure. The session will also serve as an opportunity for the suspended Governor to provide a clear and detailed explanation as to why he believes he should be reinstated to office.
“Both parties are expected to appear in person as follows:
Date: Friday, 18th April, 2025
Time: 10:00am Prompt
Venue: Conference Room, Rivers State Government House, Port Harcourt
“Attendance is mandatory. This process forms part of the Sole Administrator’s ongoing efforts to restore transparency and accountability and lasting peace in the governance of Rivers State.
Signed:
Prof. Ibibia Lucky Worika,
Secretary to the State Government”
This development adds another layer to the ongoing political tension in the state, as all eyes now turn to the outcome of the scheduled meeting and its implications for the embattled governor.