Anayo Ezugwu 
The Alliance of Yoruba Democratic Movements (AYDM) has called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) proposed ward delineation exercise in Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State, to ensure justice and fair play for the Itsekiri people.
Speaking at a press conference in Lagos on Tuesday, the convener of the group, Popoola Ajayi, urged the President to establish a commission of inquiry to investigate INEC’s delineation activities in the constituency.
Ajayi alleged that INEC had merged several wards in the Itsekiri area into one, while multiplying wards in Urhobo and Ijaw communities with low voter registration.
He said, “We call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to immediately intervene to ensure justice and fair play for the Itsekiri people.
“This is simply a matter of obeying all the Supreme Court decisions over the past 50 years in favor of the Itsekiri.
“We demand the setting up of a commission of inquiry to investigate INEC’s delineation activities in Warri Federal Constituency—to determine why the Commission merged several Itsekiri wards into one, while multiplying wards in Urhobo and Ijaw enclaves with low registration figures.
“INEC must clarify whether it has the constitutional authority to create new communities or superimpose illegal names on existing Itsekiri settlements. Can INEC selectively obey one court judgment while disregarding another?
“We call on Mr. President to direct INEC to revert to the original 13 wards in the defunct Warri Local Government Area and use this as the foundation for any delineation exercise in Warri Federal Constituency.”
Ajayi warned that the President’s intervention was necessary to prevent a potential crisis in the Niger Delta, which could draw in the entire Yoruba Nation.
“We believe this looming crisis can—and should—be avoided. That is why we are speaking out. If this historical injustice is not addressed, it may lead to renewed violence. Given the multiple crises Nigeria is already grappling with, such a situation must be prevented at all costs.
“We are sounding an early warning alarm to avert a major crisis in the Niger Delta,” he said.
Ajayi also emphasized the importance of respecting indigenous territories, likening the current situation in Warri to creating foreign-named wards in Yoruba or other ethnic homelands.
“How would any ethnic group feel if wards were being created in their ancestral lands and named after settlers? Would it be responsible to have an ‘Oyo Ward’ in Sokoto, an ‘Ibadan Ward’ in Enugu, or a ‘Zamfara Ward’ in Enugu simply because a few people from those states reside there?
“There’s no denying that the Warri homeland is historically Itsekiri. Before the 1914 amalgamation, the Itsekiri people of the Warri Kingdom—like their Yoruba brothers—had an established administrative structure under the Olu of Warri, with functioning judicial, legislative, and executive arms.
“The defunct Warri Local Government Area, which is the Itsekiri homeland, gave rise to the current Warri South, Warri North, and Warri South-West local councils. In essence, any entity that did not exist in the Warri Kingdom pre- and post-amalgamation cannot now be historically or politically recognized,” he added.
