The Ijaws of Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom Call For Justice and Fairness In The Implementation Of The Supreme Court's Ordered Fresh Delineation In Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State, Nigeria

25th August, 2025

His Excellency

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR

President Federal Republic of Nigeria

Aso Rock Villa,

Abuja.

His Excellency Sir,

The Ijaws of Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom Call For Justice and Fairness In The Implementation Of The Supreme Court's Ordered Fresh Delineation In Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State, Nigeria 

President sir, as the Father of the Nation you have performed significantly well in every sector. Some citizens may not have felt the remarkable impacts but the Ijaws of Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom are entirely grateful for the successes recorded so far in our dear country Nigeria.

Mr. President Sir, the Ijaws of Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom in Warri South West local government area, decided to again draw your attention to unpleasant development as regards the delineation of wards in the council area.

Our complaint/concerns are as follows:

1. The raw data from Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC field work was not used in the interim report released by INEC on 4th April, 2025 and its does not reflect the reality on ground.

2. Only two wards were allocated to the Ogbe-Ijoh people out of 19 wards.

3. There are non-existing coordinates and fictitious communities inputted into the field work as released by INEC in their proposal.

4. INEC deliberately removed communities in Ogbe-ijoh to other kingdoms to reduce the population and size in our areas in Warri South West local government area.

5. INEC officials who were directly involved in giving a wrong proposal that has caused national embarrassment to Nigeria are still the same set of people behind reviewing the wrong proposal done by them.

6. Supreme Court judgement directed INEC to carry out fresh delineation to reflect the true status of the Warri Federal constituency and not to favor certain group at the detriment of Ijaws of Ogbe-Ijoh kingdom.

7. INEC is busy allocating polling units to the Ogbe-Ijoh areas instead of creating wards commensurate to the population, land mass and government infrastructure as contained in its own guidelines.

8. Every local government has Electoral Officer (EO) and DSS office in Nigeria that can truly give the size, population and land mass of every locality. Warri South West Local government should not be an exception.

9. INEC refused to use the National Population Commission records in Warri South West Local government area for the purpose of the ward delineation as required by their rules and guideline.

Our prayers:

1. Mr. President Sir, we request that INEC uses the raw data from the field work in Warri South West, as the proposal released does not reflect the reality on ground as Ogbe-Ijoh constitute over 40% of the total population of the local government area.

2. The Ijaws of Ogbe-Ijoh kingdom totally reject the two wards allocated to communities in the kingdom as it does not  reflect the true population, land mass and government infrastructure in our Kingdom.

3. The NPC available records which is government recognized institution, shows that the  Ijaws of Ogbe-Ijoh kingdom have the highest populated communities/settlements and land mass. For the records, communities in the Ijaws of Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom constitute one hundred and twenty-three(123) localities out of the two hundred and ninety (290) localities in the entire Warri South West local government area in the NPC housing and localities enumeration report of 2023.

4. The Federal government should investigate some INEC officials who are held bent to causing anarchy to destroy the peace and stability in the local government.

5. The Federal government should ensure that the non existing communities and falsified coordinates inputted in the fake and rejected report/proposal, be expunge to reflect the reality on ground.

6. We the people of ogbe-ijoh kingdom of Warri south west LGA are calling on Mr president of the federal Republic of Nigeria to call INEC to order to ensure they do the proper thing inline with their guidelines of the delineation exercise by correcting the abnormalities done against the ogbe-ijoh people by deliberately giving our communities to others to reduce our population and giving us two wards out of nineteen wards proposed.

The Ogbe-ijoh people constitute 40%+ in Warri south west LGA and deserve a better share of the 19 wards at least eight out of the nineteen wards proposed.

7. The Ijaws of Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom totally reject the plot by INEC to allocate polling units to the kingdom. It is wards that the people are requesting for as the kingdom met the legal criteria for creation of more wards in line with INEC rules and guidelines for creation of wards and not polling units. INEC should not patronize the Ogbe-Ijoh people with polling units.

8. Mr. President Sir, for the record the Ijaws of Ogbe-Ijoh kingdom are most oppressed and marginalized in Warri South West Local Government local area.

9. It will interest you sir, to know that the BVAs record for the 2023 general election, clearly shows that the Ogbe-Ijoh kingdom has the highest population with the highest number of votes during the elections. The BVAs exposed the fictitious claim of population in the various kingdoms in Warri South West local government area. How come the highly populated kingdom was allocated two wards?

10. Mr. President sir, for your information, some people in the local government want to be political determinants at the expense of the political future of generations yet unborn. Please sir, investigate as our people cannot be majority being controlled by minority and INEC is aiding and abating such act.

11. Sir, you should please disregard any form of blackmail and calls for immediate release of the final report without diligently crossing the T’s and dotting the I’s by correcting the abnormalities capable of causing mayhem in the area. INEC should take time and not be placated to do the wrong thing before releasing the final reports.

12. We the Ogbe-ijoh people are fully prepared to participate in this ongoing continuous voters registration exercise and the federal government of Nigeria and the INEC should disregard any call to boycott the CVR exercise. 

Mr. President Sir, production of oil is not a criteria of ward delineation. However, the Ogbe-Ijoh kingdom produces large quantity of oil and gas resources, playing host to several oil and gas operations in Warri South West Local government council of Delta State and contributing immensely to the total revenue of the country. 

Delta State, including the people of Ogbe-Ijoh, are now in the ruling party even though it is not a criteria in the ward delineation, but because you are an outstanding leader.

Sir, as a people, we passionately request that all documents pertaining to our concerns be made available to your office as they have been submitted to INEC and National Security Adviser (NSA) offices for proper investigation. Our people are asking for justice and fairness in the ward delineations.

Yours truly;

Chief Lucky Oromoni

Chief Samson Oyimi

Chief (Mrs.) Christiana Seibiribo

Hon. Michael Oweikpodor

CC:

Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

National Security Adviser, NSA

Director General DSS, Abuja.

Attorney General of the Federation, AGF.

His Excellency Elder Sheriff Oborevwori, Governor Delta State.

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