…warns of ethnic conflict, demands immediate suspension of exercise
A powerful political storm is brewing in Delta South Senatorial District as a Pan-Isoko political group has vehemently rejected the ongoing Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ward delineation exercise, accusing unnamed political actors of orchestrating a plot to destabilize the delicate ethnic balance in the region.
In a strongly worded press briefing on Monday June 16, 2025 in Asaba, the State Capital, the group known as Isoko Political Youth Leaders Of Thought (ISOPLOT), warned that the delineation effort, if not immediately suspended, could trigger ethnic unrest reminiscent of past conflicts in the oil-rich Niger Delta.
Chairman of the group, Comrade Daniel Omararo, flanked by the Secretary, Comrade Oviomahigho Henry, Comrade Godwin Elohozino, Comrade Kokori Gift and Comrade Prosper Evioghene, claimed that the exercise has been hijacked to tilt future political power, particularly the 2031 governorship slot, in favor of one ethnic group, at the expense of the others.
“The ward delineation exercise in Warri metropolis has taken a turn that, if not suspended or better managed by the Federal Government, may result in a breakdown of the sense of peace that has prevailed in the region for decades,” the group warned.
Delta South, home to the three dominant ethnic nationalities, the Isoko, Itsekiri, and Ijaw, has long maintained a fragile but effective political equilibrium, producing past leaders such as former Governor Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan (Itsekiri) and Deputy Governor Barr. Kingsley Otuaro (Ijaw).
However, the group insists that recent political maneuverings point to an intentional attempt to skew this balance, marginalizing the Itsekiri and ultimately weakening the Isoko’s chances at producing a governor in 2031 when power is expected to rotate back to Delta South.
“We see these moves as attempts to conquer and dominate, and the Isoko people are the most affected.
“This dangerous permutation aims to jeopardize our chances of producing a governor and to isolate the Itsekiri politically,” the statement read.
His statement did not mince words in cautioning dissenters within Isoko land, branding any contrary voice as “enemies of the Isoko nation” bent on destabilizing hard-earned peace.
The group’s demands were clear:
Immediate suspension of the INEC ward delineation exercise in Warri and Delta South.
Presidential intervention to preserve ethnic balance and prevent conflict.
Close monitoring by the National Security Adviser to forestall breakdown of law and order.
Equity in political appointments and representation among the three I’s—Isoko, Itsekiri, and Ijaw.
The group praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what it described as a “progressive and stabilizing leadership” over the past two years, but insisted that urgent intervention is needed to “stop this ticking time bomb before it explodes.”
As tensions mount across Warri and its environs, all eyes now turn to INEC, the Presidency, and the National Security Adviser’s office to either defuse the growing crisis or risk letting a political miscalculation spiral into ethnic confrontation.
#INECUnderFire #DeltaSouthCrisis #IsokoSpeaksOut #WarriPolitics #NigerDeltaBalance
