Open Letter To INEC: Exposing Itsekiri Falsehoods And Demanding Publication Of The Final Ward Delineation Result -

By Uche Alvin

To:
The Chairman,
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),
Abuja, Nigeria.

Subject: Exposing Falsehoods and Calling for Immediate Publication of the Warri Federal Constituency Ward Delineation Result

Introduction

We, the Concerned Elders of Warri Federal Constituency, write with urgency and righteous indignation. The continued delay by INEC in publishing the final ward delineation result is fueling propaganda, emboldening historical distortions and threatening the fragile peace of Warri. This delay is unacceptable, unconstitutional and a betrayal of justice. It is time to set the record straight.

Exposing the Lies of the Itsekiri

The Itsekiri have built their narrative on half-truths and distortions, but history, colonial records and legal judgments expose their deceit.

Benin Archives (Page 21): When the Oba of Benin sent Prince Ginuwa into exile, he ordered Ijaw canoe men to carry him to safety. They took him to Amatu, an Ijaw village, where he lived for forty years, married an Ijaw woman and had children before brutally killing her and fleeing to Ijala. This alone proves the Ijaws were the first custodians of the land.

Prof. Alan Ryder (Benin and the Europeans, 1485–1897, pp. 27 & 146): Ryder records that the Ijaws were the earliest settlers in the Niger Delta, the Benin River and Escravos in particular, long before Itsekiri claimed ownership.

William Moore (Itsekiri Historian): In his History of Itsekiri, Moore admits that Ginuwa was only an immigrant and a guest among the Ijaws. He further states: “Prior to the advent of Prince Ginuwa, the territory now known as the Kingdom of Itsekiri or Iwerre was inhabited by three tribes, namely the Ijaws, Sobos, and Mahins.”

Consent Judgment (Suit No. W/28/65): The Itsekiris themselves have been adjudged tenants of the Okere-Urhobo clan. This judgment covered land on which Hussey College, Palm Grove Motel, and even the house of Chief Alfred Rewane (where he was buried) were built. This proves the Urhobos are the true indigenes of Warri.

The Marriage of Ebinimiere (Emave): The Isaba-Ijaw daughter given in marriage to Erejuwa became the mother of princes and princesses that connect directly to the present Olu’s lineage. This makes the Ijaws part of the bloodline of the throne they now falsely monopolize.

Dore Numa’s Acknowledgment as Tenant (Suit No. 3/33, CAT, July 4, 1933): Even Chief Dore Numa, the so-called Itsekiri “headman,” acknowledged his true status as tenant of the Ijaws of Egbema by paying yearly tribute. His children later contested but lost in court (Ebilo of Itsekelewu v. Eligho Dore of Odegene). This judgment was attached to the Egbema memorandum submitted to the Justice Idoko Commission of Inquiry in 1997.

All these records dismantle the Itsekiri’s false claim to sole ownership of Warri.

The Legal Mandate Before INEC

The Supreme Court of Nigeria in George Timinimi & Ors v. INEC (SC/CV/1033/2023) has already declared the Ijaws and Urhobos as core stakeholders in Warri Federal Constituency and ordered proper ward delineation to reflect demographic and historical realities. By refusing to publish the final result, INEC is in contempt of court and complicit in injustice.

Our Demand

INEC must not take the patience of the people for cowardice. Justice delayed is justice denied and your delay is evil. Every day you hold back the delineation result, you give life to falsehood and strengthen the hand of manipulators.

We, therefore, demand:

The immediate publication of the final ward delineation result as ordered by the Supreme Court.
An end to INEC’s silence, which only emboldens false claimants.
A firm stand on the side of truth, justice and the Constitution.
Conclusion

INEC, history is watching, the courts have spoken and the people are waiting. Do not let your delay plunge Warri into another avoidable crisis. The truth is clear: Warri belongs to all its indigenous peoples, Ijaws, Urhobos and even the Itsekiris as one of many. No single group can monopolize what was never theirs alone.

Publish the final delineation result now. Not tomorrow, not later, now.

Signed:

Chief, Tiemopere Joshua
(President)

Chief, Ebikeme T. Godstime
(Secretary)

Concerned Elders of Warri Federal Constituency

Cc:
The president, Federal Republic of Nigeria

The National Assembly of Nigeria

The National Security Adviser (NSA)

The Attorney General of Federation

The Delta State Government