To prevent more law and order breakdowns, a Niger Delta youth organization has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to immediately halt the ongoing INEC wards delineation process in the Delta South senatorial district’s Warri area.
For the past two months, the ward delineation has sparked several protests and the closure of oil facilities, which is currently creating a problem among the state’s three ethnic groups—Itsekiri, Igaw, and Urhobo in the Warri area.
But in an address to reporters on Monday in Asaba, the group, which is affiliated with the Isoko Political Youth Leaders of Thought, made the demand.
The Chairman of the group, Daniel Omoraro also called for urgent attention from President Bola Tinubu to maintain peace in the Niger Delta region, to avoid shutting down oil facilities.
He said “Today, we are here to draw the attention of the Nigerian public, the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Presidency as well as the office of the National Security Adviser to recent happenings in Warri Metropolis and how it relates to the development of the Niger Delta Region.
“The ward delineation exercise in Warri city has taken a turn that could lead to the disintegration of the sense of peace that has ruled the area for a few decades if it is not halted or better managed by the federal government.”
The Delta South Senatorial District, which is mostly shared by the three ethnic groups of Isoko, Itsekiri, and Ijaws, includes the city of Warri, which is home to a considerable population of Itsekiris, Ijaws, and a minor number of Urhobos.
“These ethnic nationalities, popularly known as the three I’s, have, beyond their economic romance, enjoyed harmonious political relations over the years.
“As a Pan Isoko political group, it came to us as a surprise that there are deliberate efforts by certain individuals to undermine the long-standing ethnic balance among the three founding nationalities of the district.
“As a group, we see the current political manoeuvrings as aimed at elevating one ethnic group over the others, particularly to gain numerical and strategic advantage ahead of the 2031 elections when the governorship seat of Delta State would have taken a rotational course back to the Delta South Senatorial District.
“We see these moves as attempts to weaken the political position of the Itsekiri blocks, thereby isolating them politically and diminishing their voice in key decisions affecting the region.
As a pan-Isoko political organization, we are aware that this always lowers our standing and stake as Isokos in the overall scheme of things.
“Isoko is most impacted by this conquest-oriented action. The level playing field that might allow Isokos to produce a governor is put in jeopardy if this permutation succeeds.
High levels of tension and political provocations are already occurring, especially in and around Warri and other flashpoints. If action is not taken to restore equity, inclusiveness, and fairness, these situations could get out of hand.
“As the guardian of Nigeria’s national security interests, we humbly ask President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the National Security Advisor, to keep a close eye on political developments in Delta South and the larger Niger Delta in order to prevent any outbreak of ethnic unrest.”
The organization called on Tinubu to halt the current INEC ward demarcation process, which is intended to upset the district’s political equilibrium.
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