Tensions escalated in the oil-rich Niger Delta on Wednesday as enraged Itsekiri youths shut down a 28,000 barrels-per-day oil production facility in Ugborodo, Warri South-West Local Government Area, protesting what they described as a “politically biased” ward delineation exercise by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The demonstrators, accusing INEC of colluding with certain ethnic and political interests, alleged that the newly released ward delineation report was a veiled attempt at ethnic cleansing, marginalizing the Itsekiri people in favor of the Ijaw ethnic group in the Warri Federal Constituency. Placards denouncing the report as “fraudulent and unjust” were brandished as the protest disrupted operations at the facility recently acquired by Renaissance Africa Energy Holdings from Shell Petroleum Development Company.
The protesters issued a stern warning, threatening to resist any perceived attempts by High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, to deploy his pipeline surveillance outfit, Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, as a tool of suppression under the guise of securing oil infrastructure.
“We will not sit idly by while Tompolo uses a federal contract to intimidate and disenfranchise our people. If he turns that contract against us, we will resist,” a protester declared at the scene.
In a swift response, Tompolo distanced himself and Tantita from the protest, calling for calm and denying any involvement in the disputed territory.
Speaking through Dr. Paul Bebenimibo, Head of Press at Tantita, Tompolo clarified that the Ogidigben oil field affected by the protest is not under Tantita’s jurisdiction but rather that of Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL), a company linked to the Olu of Warri.
“This has absolutely nothing to do with Tantita. No one dares to drag us into a conflict that is outside our operational scope,” Bebenimibo stated, warning that misrepresenting Tantita’s role could inflame existing tensions.
The unrest follows INEC’s presentation of its fieldwork findings during a stakeholders’ meeting in Asaba last Friday, in compliance with a Supreme Court directive to revisit the contentious ward delineation in the region. The reaction from the Itsekiri community has been fierce.
Mr. Amorighoye Mene, Secretary of the Itsekiri Leaders of Thought, dismissed the INEC report as both historically inaccurate and strategically oppressive.
“This is an affront to our people. Itsekiri will resist this injustice with every legitimate means. INEC and its collaborators have crossed a line,” Mene warned.
He emphasized the community’s demand for a total withdrawal of the current delineation proposal and a fresh, inclusive process that accurately reflects the historical and cultural identities of Itsekiri communities across Warri North, South, and South-West LGAs.
Meanwhile, the crisis has exposed deep fractures within neighboring ethnic communities.
In Warri, prominent leaders and traditional authorities of Okere-Urhobo Kingdom condemned statements made by a faction led by Hon. Matthew Poko Opuoru, a former state lawmaker and current Special Adviser on Environment to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori—accusing him of speaking without royal endorsement.
Addressing the media, Chief John Edgar Eranvor, the Uhoho of Okere-Urhobo Kingdom, made it clear that Opuoru’s statements during a recent press conference did not represent the official position of the kingdom.
“There is a leadership structure in Okere-Urhobo Kingdom, and it was bypassed. The remarks made by Opuoru and his group are unauthorized and do not reflect our collective stance,” Eranvor stated.
He reaffirmed that the kingdom was still reviewing the INEC report and had not issued any formal position.
“Until we conclude internal consultations, no individual or group has the mandate to speak for the kingdom,” he added.
Other traditional figures including Chief Sylvester Femi Okumagba, the Owena of Okere-Urhobo Kingdom, and Chief Frank Okolobe, the Oguhwie of Otor-Orene, echoed this sentiment, describing Opuoru’s remarks as a breach of traditional protocol and potentially politically motivated.
“It was a display of sycophancy. Any official position must come from the monarch or President-General. Anything short of that is null and void,” Chief Okolobe declared.
Youth President Eboh Okpako Elvis also condemned the press conference, calling it a deliberate misrepresentation of Okere-Urhobo’s position.
“We are still within the legal window to study and challenge the INEC documents. No one has been authorized to pre-empt our collective decision,” Elvis stated.
As the region braces for further fallout, both communities have urged INEC to revisit its report transparently and equitably, warning that failure to do so could destabilize the fragile peace in the area.
Credit: Punch except headline
