News
IYC to INEC: “Implement Delineation Report Without Delay, Ignore OPC’s Inconsequential Distractions”
IYC to INEC: “Implement Delineation Report Without Delay, Ignore External Distractions”
By Favour Bibaikefie
Warri, Nigeria – July 16, 2025: The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide has issued a strong worded statement condemning a recent call by the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) for the reversal of the Ward Delineation exercise been undertaken by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Warri Federal Constituency. Reacting to comments credited to the OPC Publicity Secretary, Yinka Oguntimehin, the National Spokesman of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Amb. Dr. Princewill Yerin Binebai, described the statement as reckless, provocative, and an unwarranted interference in Niger Delta Affairs. The council maintained that INEC was only executing a valid Supreme Court judgment and warned the OPC to stay within its bounds,asserting that Warri and it’s political processes are not under Yoruba jurisdiction.
Read details of the press release below:
Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide Press Statement.
July 16, 2025
Wards Delineation In Warri: IYC Warns OPC, Want Urgent Implementation Of INEC Field Report
The attention of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide has been drawn to a certain provocative, reckless, and senseless statement credited to one of the supposed revered Yoruba sociocultural organisation under the auspices of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), wherein it dared to urge the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reverse the Wards Delineation exercise in Warri Federal Constituency, Delta State via a publication authored by Yinka Oguntimehin, Publicity Secretary of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) recently on national dailies. This audacious statement has ignited a tempest of concern within our organisation, compelling us to respond with utmost urgency and clarity.
Ordinarily, it is not in our interest to respond to every Tom, Dick, and Harry, but because this is coming from a supposed respected organisation in Yoruba land, it is crucial that the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide respond to put the misleading and false information peddled by the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) in proper perspective. We are dismayed that the OPC, once a beacon of credibility and enviable status in Yoruba land, has descended to this lamentable level of speaking without an informed position and sadistically displaying crass ignorance on the issue astake, a development that is both distressing and perturbing.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is merely carrying out a Supreme Court judgment, a sacrosanct directive that brooks no interference or manipulation. It is not a tool to be directed by the Oodua Peoples Congress on when and how to reverse or carry out an already concluded Ward Delineation exercise in Warri. The OPC must know its limits and boundaries in Nigeria, respecting the Niger Delta and Ijaw areas, where they have no business to meddle.
The Oodua Peoples Congress must understand that the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide will not continue to take such careless and provocative remarks from the OPC going forward. We will not be swayed by empty rhetoric or veiled threats, and we will steadfastly defend our rights and interests.
It is essential to reiterate that the INEC field report was conducted with the full participation of all Ijaw, Urhobo, and Itsekiri representatives in the Warri Federal Constituency, a process characterised by fairness, transparency, and credibility. The outcome of this exercise is a testament to the efficacy of inclusive and participatory governance.
Warri and indeed the entire Delta State are peaceful, with no tension regarding the outcome of the delineation. The Federal Government’s efforts in apprehending those who attempted to smuggle guns into our state to cause trouble have been commendable. We call on the Federal Government to pursue the gun smuggling matter to its logical conclusion, ensuring that those responsible are brought to justice.
We make it clear that whatever the Itsekiris were enjoying in Warri Federal Constituency prior to the Supreme Court judgment is nothing but fraud and non-existent now. The Ijaws will never accept going back to the old exploitative and manipulative arrangement, which was characterised by injustice and inequity. We must respect the independence of INEC and the rule of law in this country, upholding the principles of fairness and justice.
Nigeria is not a banana republic, where the rule of law is trampled upon with impunity. Counter-publications from the Itsekiris and OPC, threatening fire and brimstone, will not hold water in this case, as their reactions lack substance and truth. We will not be intimidated by such tactics, and we will continue to advocate for justice and fairness.
The Niger Delta region is not under the jurisdiction of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) or the Yoruba people. The IYC wonders at the audacity, impunity, and temerity with which the OPC is speaking regarding Warri Federal Constituency, Delta State. No amount of connivance will be allowed to suppress justice and the independence of INEC.
There is no single community in the INEC field report on the Warri Federal Constituency wards delineation exercise within the Ijaw territories that does not belong to the Ijaws in Warri South West, Warri South, and Warri North. This is a fact that is evident to all, and we will not allow it to be distorted or manipulated.
While the Ijaws have never interfered with the excellent work INEC is doing, it is our call that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must not delay any further in implementing the drafted field report. We urge INEC to uphold its independence and impartiality, ensuring that justice is served and the rights of all parties are respected.
Signed,
Amb (Dr) Binebai Yerin Princewill
Spokesman, Ijaw Youth Council
Reaffirming it’s stance, the IYC called on the INEC to proceed without further delays in implementing the delineation report, describing the exercise as fair, inclusive, and representative of all ethnic groups in Warri Federal Constituency. The council also lauded Federal Security efforts in curbing recent attempts to destabilize the region and emphasized that no amount of external pressure or threats would deter the Ijaw people from pursuing justice. “The era of manipulation is over” the statement read. “We will resist all attempts reverse hard-won gains and remain resolute in defending the dignity, rights, and political equity of the Ijaw nation”
LATE CHIEF BETHLEHEM INGO,
Bebefiyewei of Grand Iduwini Kingdom,
“A Voice Lost Forever”
It’s been 21 years, yet the name Chief Bethlehem Ingo still echoes with respect and warmth.
We join in remembering a man whose legacy lives on through the voices of those who still say, “He was a good man.”
Iduwini people lost a voice in the demise of the Bebefiyewei that personified Spokesmanship.
Chief Ingo’s memory remains alive in the lives he touched, in the battles he worn, in the legacies he bequited.
🕊️ Rest on, the Great Chief Beth Ingo. You are missed by Odimodi, Iduwini, Ijaw nation — today.. always.
_From all of us at IduwiniVoice_
By Daire Pere-ebi
Things happen everyday, and some are terrifying. Tale of hardship, moshaps, joy, goodwill, etcetera. But what if you’re told that in a tale of extraordinary endurance and resilience, British couple Maurice and Maralyn Baily survived nearly four months adrift in the Pacific Ocean after their yacht was fatally struck by a whale in 1973.
The couple had set out on a dream journey across the Pacific, having sold their home in England to embrace a life of seafaring adventure. Their voyage aboard a 31-foot yacht, Auralyn, took a devastating turn in Mar h 1973 as they sailed westward from Panama, near the Galapagos Islands.
In the early morning hours, a sperms whale collided with yacht, tearing open the hull. Within minutes, the Auralyn was beyond saving. The Baileys escaped into a small inflatable raft and dinghy, managing to retrieve a few essential items – some canned food, fishing gear, a compass, and a solar still. With no radio or emergency beacon, they were cast into one of the most remote parts of the Pacific, with little hope of immediate rescue.
What followed was an unimaginable 118-day survival ordeal. The Baileys battled the searing tropical sun, saltwater scores, dehydration, and hunger. They relied on collected rainwater for hydration and fashioned rudimentary tools from safety pins and yacht remnants to catch fish, turtles, and even birds. Their bodies withered from malnutrition, their clothing deteriorated, and their nights were filed with uncertainty as distant ships passed them by, unaware of their desperate situation.
Despite the hardship, the couple remained committed to surviving together. Climbing to each other through frigid nights and burning days, they pushed through the extremes of isolation and physical suffering.
Salvation finally came on June 30, 1973, when a South Korean fishing vessel spotted them and pulled them aboard. The Baileys, frail and emaciated but alive, were taken to Hawaii for recovery.
Their harrowing experience, later detailed in their memoir 117 Days Adrift, drew international attention and became a symbol of unbreakable human spirit.
Remarkably, the trauma of their ordeal did not deter them from the sea—they returned to sailing, their passion unshaken by the vast ocean that once nearly claimed their lives.
The Baileys’ story remains one of the most compelling sagas of survival ever recorded, a testament to courage, love, and sheer willpower against the unforgiving forces of nature.
Credit: Weired, Wonder, and Amazing Things
By Favour Bibaikefie
Abuja, Nigeria – In a commendable display of appreciation, ‘Gen.’ Dennis Kpaidia, leader of the Tantita Odimodi Unit, has lauded the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Chief Dr. Dennis Otuaro (PhD.), for his unwavering commitment to peacebuilding and leadership development in the Niger Delta.
This follows the commencement of a three-day day intensive training programme on Peacebuilding, Leadership, Alternative Dispute Resolution, and Mediation, organised by the PAP in collaboration with the Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC), Abuja.
The training, held in the Federal Capital Territory, brought together selected youth and community leaders from various communities across the Iger Delta. The initiative forms part of the reintegration phase of the Amnesty Programme, aimed at equipping key stakeholders with tools for the effective leadership, dialogue, and nonviolent conflict resolution in order to forestall imminent intercommunity crisis.
Speaking to IduwiniVoice, Kpaidia expressed profound gratitude to Dr. Otuaro over what he described as a “visionary leadership style that prioritizes the growth and peaceful coexistence of the region.”He noted that such training sessions are vital in deepening participants’ understanding of conflict dynamics and in strengthening local structures for sustainable peace.
“This training has opened our eyes to new methods of resolving disputes peacefully and building consensus in our communities. I thank Chief Dr. Otuaro for investing in our future of the Niger Delta youth and for giving us the tolls to lead rightly.” Kaidia State.
The peacebuilding programme is expected to continue over the next two days, with sessions facilitated by security and conflict resolution experts, mediators, and development professionals from both civil and military backgrounds.
As the region continues its journey towards lasting peace and sustainable development, initiatives like this stand out as evidence of the evolving impact of the Presidential Amnesty Programme under Dr. Otuaro’s stewardship.