From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
Protesters in their hundreds took over headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the allocation of only two out of the nineteen registration areas proposed for the Warri South West Local Government Area (LGA) of Delta State.
The youth who displayed different placard with writeups like‘Ogbe-Ijor has the huge population in Warri south west’, ‘INEC should work with 2023 NPC report’, ‘Ogbe-Ijor kingdom rejects two wards’, among others, the protesters called on the chairman of the commission to address the deliberate injustice against the Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom.
The spokesperson of the Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom Youth Council, Warri, Nathaniel Oromoni, alleged that the deliberate act of suppression is being tele-guided by some political stakeholders in the Warri South West Local Government Area, acting through the National Commissioner representing South East, Dr. Kenneth Ukeagu.
Oromoni said: “Consequent upon the release of the field report on the fresh delineation on the 4th of April, 2025, the Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom wrote letters dated the 5th day of April, 2025 and 21st of April, 2025 in addition to further evidence to draw the attention of the Commission to the injustice against the Kingdom in allocating only 2 out of the 19 registration areas proposed for the Warri South West LGA, despite having the highest population of about 40% out of the total population in the Warri South West Local Government Area, landmass and communities by publicly available records of the National Population Commission (NPC).
“The Ogbe-Ijoh area is the largest in Warri South West LGA, starting from the Ogbe-Ijoh main town, headquarters of Warri South West LGA, to the Forcados River, having boundary with Burutu Town and on the Escravos River sharing boundary with Gbaramatu Kingdom and playing host to several oil and gas operations such as the Ajuju Oil field, Egwa 11, Odidi 1 and Odidi 11 Flowstations and the Ugbanu Oil field with more than one hundred physically existing communities.
In a protest letter to INEC chairman, signed by Hon. Denbo-Denbofa of Ijaw Focal Person, Chief Lucky Oromoni, Chief Samson Oyimi, Chief (Mrs) Christiana Seibribo, and Hon. Michael Oweikpodor, the kingdom vowed to use its last blood to resist any deliberate oppression against it.
“We again call on Mr. Chairman to address the deliberate injustice against the Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom in the allocation of the registration areas in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State.