Warri Ijaw Stakeholders Reject Violence, Seek Peaceful Resolution of Ward Delineation Dispute

The Warri Ijaw Stakeholders Forum has dismissed claims that the Ijaw community is planning conflict with the Itsekiri ethnic group over the ongoing ward delineation dispute in Delta State, insisting that its focus is on development, economic growth, and peaceful coexistence.

In an open letter addressed to the Itsekiri community, the group’s chairman, Comrade Edisemi Yiki, said the Ijaw nation has no interest in ethnic confrontation and is instead focused on advancing development initiatives, including industrial investments, youth empowerment, maritime infrastructure, and economic expansion across Ijaw communities.

The forum argued that recent narratives suggesting the Ijaw people are mobilising for conflict over the ward delineation exercise are false and misleading. According to the group, its position is that any issues arising from the delineation process should be resolved through lawful and democratic means.

Addressing the controversy surrounding the delineation of electoral wards in Warri Federal Constituency, the stakeholders maintained that the matter is one of justice and representation rather than ethnic rivalry. The group called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to implement the outcome of the 2026 delineation process in accordance with legal and constitutional provisions.

The forum also urged both Ijaw and Itsekiri leaders to avoid inflammatory rhetoric capable of heightening tensions in the region, noting that the violent conflicts that affected Warri between 1997 and 2003 resulted in significant loss of lives and brought little benefit to local communities.

According to the statement, the Ijaw nation’s priorities now include attracting investments, improving educational opportunities, expanding maritime and fishing industries, and securing greater economic participation in the Niger Delta.

The group further called for cooperation between ethnic communities in the region, suggesting that development-focused initiatives and economic partnerships would provide greater benefits than political or territorial disputes.

The statement comes amid growing tensions over the implementation of ward delineation arrangements in Warri Federal Constituency, an issue that has generated protests and drawn attention from political leaders, community groups, and stakeholders across Delta State.