JUST IN: Isoko Group Blasts OPC Over Statement On Warri Ward Delineation, Says OPC Cannot Hide Under Advocacy To Foment War In Warri -

By Esther David

MEMORANDUM

FROM: ISOKO PEOPLE DEFENDERS OF JUSTICE

TO: OODUA PEOPLES’ CONGRESS (OPC) & INEC

RE: WARNING TO OPC — STAY OUT OF WARRI AND DELTA STATE ISSUES

Date: [11/7/2025]
Venue of Emergency Meeting: Oleh Civic Centre, Isoko South LGA, Delta State

YOU CANNOT HIDE UNDER ADVOCACY TO FOMENT WAR IN OTHER REGIONS — OPC, KNOW YOUR BOUNDARIES

After an emergency and highly sensitive meeting held in Oleh yesterday by the Isoko People Defenders of Justice, we issue this memorandum to express our collective anger, disbelief and disapproval at the recent statement by the Oodua Peoples’ Congress (OPC) on the ongoing ward delineation in Warri Federal Constituency.

Let it be known: this is not your region, not your history, not your story and certainly not your fight.

YOU SAT IN YOUR REGION, HEARD ONE SIDE OF THE STORY AND WROTE A DANGEROUSLY IRRESPONSIBLE STATEMENT

You never consulted the Ijaws.
You never heard from the Urhobos.
You never visited the affected communities.
You never investigated the Supreme Court mandate.
You simply echoed the fear-mongering of one ethnic group and called it a press release.

That is not advocacy. That is ethnic bigotry masquerading as activism.

REMEMBER THE WARRI CRISIS OF 1997 — STOP LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR ANOTHER BLOODY CHAPTER

We remind OPC that Warri is not a playground for testing regional influence. The 1997 Warri crisis led to hundreds of deaths, displacement and destruction. The wounds are still fresh. The trauma still real. The fires of that war were fanned by exactly the kind of reckless statements and outsider meddling that OPC is now reviving.

If you do not want blood on your hands, stop now.

INEC IS DOING WHAT THE SUPREME COURT ORDERED — NOT WHAT THE IJAW PEOPLE PAID FOR

It is on record that the Ijaw people pursued the delineation case from the High Court to the Court of Appeal and up to the Supreme Court, in a matter widely reported as Timini v. INEC & Ors.

They fought for over a decade. They never took up arms. They never manipulated anyone. They trusted the courts. They won. It was their constitutional right.

Where was OPC then?

Did you advise the Itsekiris to go to court too or are your morals only activated when justice is not convenient?

Even under the presidency of their own son, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, the Ijaws did not use power to cheat anyone. Instead, they quietly followed the law.

Why can’t you advise your Itsekiri allies to do the same?

ON IKATU, IJAHALA, AND IJELE — YOUR CLAIMS ARE SHALLOW, YOUR LOGIC IS DANGEROUS

You claimed the Ijaw people are “encroaching” on Itsekiri land. But you conveniently forgot:

It was the people of Ikatu, Ijala, and Ijele themselves who publicly declared in press conferences that they are Ijaw by ancestry.

These declarations were made freely, openly and proudly. No guns. No violence. No intimidation.

So we ask:

Did the Ijaws force them with rifles? Did they bribe them to reject their own roots? Or are you denying them their right to trace their ancestry?
Your logic is flawed. Your position is ignorant. Your conclusion is dishonest.

IF INEC DID NOT CARRY ALL TRIBES ALONG, WHY DID YOU WAIT UNTIL NOW TO PROTEST?

INEC held several meetings. They invited Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo leaders. They conducted field visits. They followed the Supreme Court ruling. So why did OPC not speak earlier?

Because this noise is not about justice. It is about obstructing a lawful process and protecting an outdated structure that benefits only one side.

WE WARN EVERY PROVOCATEUR TO STAY CLEAR OF WARRI ISSUES — THIS INCLUDES OPC

OPC has no authority, no ancestral link and no legal stake in Warri Federal Constituency. We are warning, not suggesting that:

OPC should stay clear of Warri and Delta State affairs

OPC must respect jurisdictional boundaries

OPC must not import Yoruba regional tension into a delicate Warri matter

OPC should focus on solving banditry and lawlessness in its own region

We will not allow the seeds of war to be planted again in our region by the careless utterances of those who will not suffer the consequences.

WE STAND WITH TRUTH, JUSTICE AND CONSTITUTIONAL ORDER

We commend INEC for its diligence.
We affirm that INEC must immediately publish the ward delineation report.
We urge the Federal Government to call all external saboteurs to order.
We urge all Niger Delta ethnic groups to reject manipulation and embrace lawful resolution of grievances.

OUR FINAL WORDS

We have seen war.
We have buried the innocent.
We have counted the cost.
We do not want another bloodbath in Warri.
But if this reckless propaganda continues, we shall hold OPC and their sponsors directly responsible for any breakdown of law and order.

We are watching. We are warning. We are ready to defend peace with the truth and if necessary, with our lives.

Signed:

Chief Ejiro Divine – Convener, Isoko People Defenders of Justice
Chief Ovie Wonder – Secretary
Chief (Mrs.) Ese Faith – Women Representative
Mr. Elohor Oghenero – Youth Coordinator
Hon. Okah Zeal– Legal Adviser
Cc:
– INEC Chairman
– National Security Adviser
– Presidency
– Delta State Governor
– DSS Headquarters
– Niger Delta Governors Forum
– Media Houses Nationwide