News
REBUTTAL TO THE ITSEKIRI YOUTH PRESS STATEMENT: HISTORICAL DISTORTIONS, LEGAL FALLACIES & POLITICAL BLACKMAIL UNMASKED
Issued by Concerned Ijaw Stakeholders of Warri Federal Constituency
Date: July 26, 2025
We have read with deep irritation and justified contempt, the incoherent and ill-advised press statement released by a group masquerading as Itsekiri youth, who, in their desperation, have chosen to paddle blatant lies, historical distortions and legal falsehoods without the slightest regard for truth, decency or even the fear of God.
Their words reek not only of ignorance but of an arrogant entitlement rooted in colonial deceit, a reckless attempt to rewrite facts in favour of a dying narrative. They speak loudly, but they do not speak rightly. They write forcefully but not truthfully.
To package propaganda as patriotism, to weaponize youth activism as a cloak for ethnic supremacy and to spew lies in the name of a people whose hands are already stained with decades of land grabbing and political manipulation, is not just unfortunate, it is unforgivable.
If they had even a moment of introspection or an ounce of respect for truth, they would be too ashamed to issue such an intellectually lazy and morally bankrupt document called press release
I. “WE REJECT THE INEC DELINEATION”: THE CRY OF A DEFEATED MINORITY
You claim to seek justice under the “extant laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” yet you brazenly reject the constitutional duty of INEC as enshrined in Section 73–74 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Section 112–114 of the Electoral Act, 2022. INEC acted lawfully. It went to the field. It conducted empirical, population-driven delineation based on the present realities of settlements, population growth and polling unit saturation.
INEC’s duty is not to favor any tribe, no matter how loudly they shout “discrimination.” It is to ensure equitable representation and the facts today prove beyond doubt that the Ijaw and Urhobo populations in Warri Federal Constituency far outnumber the Itsekiris, whose ancient dominance was built not on democracy but on colonial favoritism.
II. “WE REJECT BABA BILA AND PROFESSOR RHODA GUMUS”: YOU REJECT DUE PROCESS
You call for a new committee because you disagree with their findings, not because they violated any law. INEC followed its standard procedures. The field reports were conducted across Ijaw, Urhobo and Itsekiri communities and you were present. You did not reject the process then. You only began crying foul when the outcome exposed your numerical inferiority.
Let it be known: “Nemo judex in causa sua” cannot be invoked against officials performing statutory duties unless bias is proven. You offer no proof, just tribal paranoia.
III. “IJAW WARDS INFLATED”: HISTORICAL LIES UNVEILED
Let us remind the world:
The Ijaws are the original inhabitants of Gbaramatu, Ogbe-Ijoh, Isaba, Diebiri, Egbema and several others, long before Ginuwa the fugitive prince washed up on the shores of Ode-Itsekiri in 1480.
Captain Pullen’s Intelligence Report (1908) documented the Ijaw dominance of the creeks in Warri South, Warri South-West and Warri North, particularly around Escravos, Olero and Benin River.
The 1926 Provincial Gazette listed Ogbe-Ijoh and Gbaramatu as autonomous native administrations, not Itsekiri territories.
The Supreme Court ruling in Atake v. Apena & Ors (1994) 9 NWLR (Pt.368) 379 reaffirmed that land ownership and ward creation are not determined by ethnic titles but population and settlement patterns.
It is public knowledge that Ijaw areas like Gbaramatu and Ogbe-Ijoh alone contain more than 45 oil flow stations, dozens of communities and polling units, more than Itsekiris in the same LGA. You had 6 wards when we had 4 because you controlled power, not population. Today, justice has come. Deal with it.
IV. “THE IJAWS HAVE NO LAND IN WARRI SOUTH”: A FALSEHOOD FROM A FAKE CROWN
This is perhaps your boldest lie yet. Let us correct the record:
The Ogbe-Ijoh people’s ownership of areas such as Warri GRA, Miller Waterside (NPA), and Alders Town is well-documented:
Chief Dore Numa, in his correspondence with the colonial government and the Ogbe-Ijoh community, clarified that he executed leases not as an owner, but on behalf of the government:
* Lease B2 (July 30, 1906): 360 hectares covering NPA/Miller areas to Ogbe-Ijoh Market.
* Lease B5 (July 13, 1908): 180 hectares covering Alders Town and its environs.
Warri Assessment Report (1927), Delta State Traditional Rulers and Chiefs Law (1999), and Delta State Community Development Law (2004) affirm Ogbe-Ijoh’s indigenous status and territorial rights within the Warri Urban District..
* Colonial records further cement Ogbe-Ijoh’s historical roots:
1. The Southern Nigeria Civil Service Handbook (1910, p. 28) identifies Warri District natives as the “Ijaw of Ogbe-Ijoh”, attributing the founding of Warri (Ware) to Ewein, an Ijaw ancestor.
2. Warri Urban District Council (1952) recognized Ogbe-Ijoh electoral wards: C1, C2, and GRA Ward F1.
3. Prethoroe’s 1928 Warri Township Assessment Report confirms the township was established on Ogbe-Ijoh land.
4. In 1948, colonial visitor Hubbard stated that Warri GRA belonged to the descendants of Ewein of Ogbe-Ijoh.
5. In 1955, Ogbe-Ijoh, alongside parts of Urhobo and Itsekiri, received four autonomous wards: Alders Town (B3), Ogbe-Ijoh (C1 & C2), and Government Area (F1).
The Itsekiri land title in Warri South was created not by history but by military conquest and colonial protection, a point noted by Major A. R. L. Glover (1943): “The Itsekiris were placed over people they neither owned nor outnumbered.”
V. NO COURT HAS EVER BANNED THE IJAWS FROM CONTESTING LAND IN WARRI SOUTH
It is with seething indignation and unshakable truth that we address the latest insult laced in historical ignorance and legal dishonesty, the claim that Ijaws have been barred by a competent court from contesting land ownership in Warri South, and that we have no single community therein.
This lie must be buried, not just with words but with facts, legal records, and ancestral bloodlines that long predate any “Olu of Warri” or Itsekiri invention.
The Itsekiri keep repeating this fabrication like a mantra hoping it becomes truth. But truth is not built on repetition, it is built on record.
There is no ruling by any High Court, Appeal Court or Supreme Court that bars the Ijaw people from asserting ownership or customary claims in Warri South LGA.
In fact, court history affirms the contrary.
> Suit No. W/89/71 — Eyin Pessu & Ors v. Chief Numa & Ors (1971):
The court held that “The entire Warri territory cannot be said to belong exclusively to the Itsekiris.”
This judgment completely debunks the narrative of Itsekiri exclusivity over Warri lands.
The court case often cited by the Itsekiri was never heard on merit and no pleadings or witness was entertained before both parties withdrew and the court never gave Ogbe-Ijoh lands to Itsekiri, reason Ogbe-Ijoh continues to enjoy their traditional and customary ownership rights over NPA, Miller, GRA and Alders Town.
VI. “INEC’S REPORT IS FRAUDULENT”: YET YOU OFFER NO ALTERNATIVE FACTS
You allege fraud but provide no map, no counter-survey, no population data, no polling unit analysis, nothing but emotion and propaganda. Yet INEC published settlement-based data from the field, including physical verification, satellite imagery and community inputs.
Where is your own alternative data?
INEC’s job is not to guard your tribal pride, it is to reflect demographic and electoral realities and the current proposal does that.
VIII. THE NSA HAS NO BUSINESS INTERFERING IN INEC’s CONSTITUTIONAL MANDATE — INEC ACTED ON SUPREME COURT AUTHORITY IN SC.413/2016: TIMINIMI VS INEC
Let it be made crystal clear: The Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) is not, has never been and can never become part of INEC’s legal or constitutional framework. The NSA has zero jurisdiction over electoral boundary delineation. Any interference is not only illegal but an assault on Nigeria’s democracy.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) acted fully within the powers granted to it under Section 73 of the 1999 Constitution and in compliance with the Supreme Court judgment in Suit No. SC.413/2016 — Timinimi vs INEC, which upheld INEC’s exclusive authority to create, review and implement ward delineations without political or tribal interference.
Let the record reflect that Ijaw, Urhobo and Itsekiri stakeholders were all consulted and represented during the INEC field exercises. No tribe was excluded. No one was blindfolded. All were involved.
Therefore, the sudden outcry by Itsekiri elements and their palace puppets is not about justice, it is about losing grip on a monopoly built on colonial gerrymandering and military-era manipulation.
If the NSA truly seeks peace, it should redirect its energy toward the Itsekiri elite, whose track record includes:
Incitement of uninformed youths to violence
Gunrunning operations in Asaba and Warri
Drug trafficking networks cloaked as “security volunteers”
Violent threats against national institutions over a lawful democratic process
Let it be known: this country cannot be held hostage by one ethnic group’s refusal to accept democratic equity. No tribe is above the law. No crown is above the Constitution. And no federal office must be used to sanitize injustice.
If the NSA is serious about peace, then it must call the Olu of Itshekiri and his agents to order, not INEC.
IX & X. “WE WILL SHUT DOWN IOCs”: THIS IS ECONOMIC TERRORISM, NOT DIALOGUE
This is a direct threat to the Federal Republic of Nigeria. You have declared economic war because a democratic institution did not bend to your lies. That is economic blackmail, sabotage and treasonable felony under Section 40 of the Criminal Code Act.
Let the NSA, DSS and Presidency take notice: no tribe can hold Nigeria hostage over ward delineation. Your desperation reeks of fear, fear of finally standing on a level playing field.
XI. “WE REJECT POLLING UNIT ‘GREEK GIFTS’”: YOU’RE REJECTING PROGRESS
It is not a Greek gift; it is an equalizer. For decades, Itsekiris disproportionately enjoyed more polling units than the Ijaws and Urhobos despite the Ijaws having more voters. What you fear now is competition in a real democracy. You are addicted to unmerited advantage.
XII. “WE DEMAND TOTAL REVIEW”: YOU WANT TO REWRITE FIELD REPORTS TO SUIT YOUR MINORITY AGENDA
INEC did its job. You were consulted. You sent representatives. They signed attendance sheets. The field officers visited Gbaramatu, Ogbe-Ijoh, Orere, Egbema, Egbokodo, Ubefan, Diebiri, Ode-Itsekiri and over 100 communities. The results are not forged, they are simply not flattering to your long-held Illusion of majority
CONCLUSION: THE TRUTH IS STRONGER THAN PROPAGANDA
This is not 1920 when Lugard could gift you overlordship. This is 2025. The Ijaw and Urhobo people of Warri have awakened, organized and pursued their rights through legal, democratic and peaceful means.
Your threats will not change the map.
Your lies will not change the law.
Your crocodile tears will not suppress the voice of justice.
INEC, DSS, PRESIDENCY, TAKE NOTE:
The Ijaw and Urhobo people are the majority in Warri Federal Constituency and they have waited long enough.
Ward delineation is a constitutional right, not a tribal negotiation.
Any delay or reversal will be seen as ethnic appeasement and injustice.
Let the map speak. Let the numbers speak. Let the truth prevail.
Signed:
Chief Tiemopere Joshua
(President)
Chief Ebikeke T. Goodstime
(Secretary)
Ijaw Stakeholders of Warri Federal Constituency
Cc:
INEC Chairman
NSA
Presidency
DSS
Civil Society
Nigerian Media
International Observers
Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas (HOSCON)
Niger Delta Watchmen
Urhobo Progress Union
Ijaw National Congress (INC)
Global Community
News
GOV OBOREWORI BOOSTS TRADITIONAL INSTITUTIONS WITH 65 LAND CRUISERS TO STRENGTHEN GRASSROOTS PEACE
By: Divine Perezide
Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. (Elder) Sheriff Francis Oborevwori, has handed over 65 brand new Toyota Land Cruisers to traditional rulers across the state in a move aimed at strengthening grassroots governance, peacebuilding, and rural security coordination.
Presenting the vehicles in Asaba, the state government said the gesture reflects the administration’s recognition of the strategic role traditional institutions play in maintaining social stability, mediating communal disputes, and fostering collaboration between communities and government agencies.
The governor described traditional rulers as indispensable partners in sustaining harmony in rural areas, noting that enhanced mobility would enable quicker engagement with communities, faster response to emerging tensions, and closer cooperation with security operatives.
“This intervention is part of our people-centered leadership approach. It is a deliberate effort to build lasting peace and sustain the achievements of our MORE Agenda,” Governor Oborevwori stated, emphasizing that development thrives only in an atmosphere of peace.
Government officials explained that the vehicles would improve accessibility across difficult terrains, enable traditional leaders to attend to community matters more efficiently, and reinforce the interface between grassroots institutions and the state.
Stakeholders have commended the initiative as timely, especially as many rural communities rely heavily on traditional institutions for conflict resolution, cultural administration, and early warning mechanisms in times of tension.
With the distribution of the Land Cruisers, the Oborevwori administration says it remains committed to deepening rural engagement, strengthening local leadership structures, and advancing its peace-building framework across Delta State.
IduwiniVoice
By: Derick Peretengboro
Port Harcourt, 12 January 2026 — A Reconciliation Committee appointed by the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has appealed to political actors in Rivers State to end the ongoing crisis that has deeply affected governance and public confidence in the oil-rich state.
Headed by Chief Godwin Kanu Agabi, SAN, CON, the Committee was inaugurated on 12th January 2026 to “explore ways of bringing the escalating political crisis in Rivers State to an end,” a crisis, the Committee noted, that “has persisted for too long.”
In a statement at the inauguration, Chief Agabi said the Committee was privileged to serve and expressed gratitude to God and PANDEF leadership, particularly Ambassador Godknows Igali, Chairman of PANDEF’s Board of Trustees, and His Royal Majesty, King Alfred Papapraye Diete Spiff, former Governor of Rivers State and Amayanabo of Twon Brass. The statement described Sir Diete Spiff as “a man whose commitment to the South-South and the nation as a whole has never been in doubt,” adding that “it is the sacrifices of men like him that bequeathed the States of the South-South to the people of that area.”
Highlighting the gravity of the state’s political stand-off, the Committee warned that continuing conflict could erode confidence in the political actors’ commitment to the “interest of the people of Rivers State and of the nation.”
Using a local proverb to caution against self-destructive disputes, the statement urged caution: “Let the parties involved not be as the Clam and the Oyster … The fisherman picked them up, took them home and made a nice fine meal of Clam and Oyster. May it not be with Rivers State as it was with the Clam and the Oyster.”
Chief Agabi expressed optimism that the crisis could be resolved without external intervention, arguing that “the parties to this dispute are one people who began as one” and urging humility: “If they have now offended one another, they must be humble enough to apologize and to forgive. It is in forgiving that true greatness can be found.”
The Committee called for goodwill and prayer, countering the often-held view that religion has no place in politics. The statement read: “The misconception that God has no place in our politics has harmed and continues to harm the nation … Whether we are governors or ministers or legislators … it is to God that we owe our appointments and promotions.”
On the key figures involved in the crisis, Chief Agabi spoke personally of both the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, His Excellency Nyesom Wike, and the Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency Governor Fubara, saying: “The Minister … is my friend. He is my benefactor.… The mighty hand of God is upon him. That great Hand demands that he should lead this reconciliation … I trust [Governor Fubara] to respect that bond.”
The Committee also extended respect to members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, praying for “a change of heart on their part” and urging them that “in forgiving the Governor whatever wrongs he has committed … they will demonstrate … restraint, … public spirit and … maturity.”
Concluding its charge, the Committee emphasized that it was not a judicial body, but an appeal for unity: “This Committee is not appointed to sit in judgment … Our duty is to appeal to the parties to be reconciled with one another… We appeal to the parties to embrace reconciliation… Sacrifices are called for. Make them and let there be peace.”
By: Divine Perezide
Warri, Delta State — Residents of the Warri Federal Constituency and surrounding environment are set to witness the public presentation of a new book titled “Warri Federal Constituency Delineation: Itsekiri & the Challenge of Sustaining the Burden of Lies”, authored by M. Keme.
The event, being organized by Niger Delta Scholars on behalf of stakeholders in the constituency, is scheduled to take place on Friday, January 23rd, 2026, at the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) Conference Centre, Warri, with proceedings commencing at 11:00am.
According to the organizers, the book interrogates historical and contemporary issues surrounding the delineation of Warri Federal Constituency, with particular focus on the Itsekiri ethnic group and the socio-political narratives that have shaped representation over the years.
The public presentation will be chaired by Professor Benjamin Okaba, President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), who is expected to lend scholarly insight into the relevance of the publication to ongoing debates in Niger Delta politics.
The book will be formally reviewed by noted academic Professor Benedict Binebai, providing an evaluative perspective on the text and its contributions to regional political discourse.
The organizers have issued an open invitation to scholars, political leaders, community stakeholders, and the general public to attend the presentation ceremony. Enquiries and confirmations can be directed to the official RSVP line: 08023865232.
The forthcoming launch is anticipated to spark renewed intellectual and civic engagement on constituency delineation, ethnic relations, and democratic representation in the Niger Delta.