The Warri North Itsekiri Rebirth Forum has thrown out a proposed ward delineation plan that would split Warri North Local Government Area evenly between the Itsekiri and Ijaw people, ten wards apiece, arguing the arrangement flatly contradicts the area’s actual voter demographics and risks undermining Itsekiri political representation.
Speaking in Obitugbu, Warri North, group chairman Hon. David Edun laid out the core of the objection in blunt terms, calling on the National Assembly to closely examine the proposal before any legislative action moves forward. “We believe that this proposal is fundamentally flawed and does not reflect the demographic and electoral realities of Warri North LGA. We therefore reject it in its entirety and call on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, not to implement what we consider an unjust arrangement capable of undermining the political rights and democratic aspirations of the Itsekiri people,” he said.
At the heart of the group’s objection are numbers pulled directly from INEC’s own 2023 Register of Voters. According to Edun, the Itsekiri currently hold six wards containing 134 polling units and 75,912 registered voters, while the Ijaw hold four wards with 58 polling units and 34,480 registered voters, a gap of more than 41,000 voters in the Itsekiri’s favour. Against that backdrop, he argued, an equal ten-and-ten split raises obvious questions about how the commission arrived at its numbers. “It therefore raises serious questions as to how the commission arrived at an equal allocation of 10 wards each for both ethnic groups. We respectfully urge INEC to explain the methodology used and review the proposed delineation to ensure that it reflects verifiable facts, constitutional principles and its own official records,” he said.
Edun extended that same scrutiny to the National Assembly directly, framing lawmakers as constitutionally obligated gatekeepers on the issue. “As custodians of Nigeria’s laws, members of the National Assembly have a constitutional responsibility to ensure that every process complies with the principles of equity, justice and democratic representation,” he said.
Beyond the technical dispute over numbers, the forum also used the moment to distance itself from individuals it says have claimed to speak for the Itsekiri people on the delineation issue without actually consulting the communities involved. Edun was unequivocal in rejecting any agreements reached on that basis. “The Itsekiri people of Warri North did not mandate anyone to negotiate or enter into any agreement on this sensitive issue without broad consultation and the consent of the affected communities,” he said, adding that the forum no longer recognises those individuals as legitimate representatives of Itsekiri interests and urging government institutions to engage instead with figures who genuinely command community trust.
The statement closed on a considerably graver note, raising allegations that Itsekiri community members have been kidnapped and taken to Oporoza, where they were reportedly subjected to intimidation and torture for refusing to align with certain unnamed individuals’ interests. Edun called on the President, the Delta State Governor, the National Security Adviser, the DSS Director-General, and the Inspector-General of Police to launch an independent investigation into the claims and hold anyone responsible accountable. He framed the request as a matter of preventing escalation, warning that unchecked intimidation has historically been a precursor to broader security crises in Nigeria. “Many of the security challenges confronting Nigeria today developed because the excesses of certain individuals were not checked at their formative stages. Preventing such situations through prompt, impartial and lawful intervention is essential to protecting lives, preserving public confidence in our institutions, and safeguarding Nigeria’s democracy,” he said.
