By Admin 
A coalition of Yoruba organizations, operating under the banner of the Oodua Nationalist Alliance Coalition (ONAC), has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to urgently intervene in what it describes as a brewing crisis in Delta State and the larger Niger Delta region.
In a statement signed by 25 prominent Yoruba leaders, including Chief Kunle Anjorin, Hakeem Akinwale, and Chief Sanusi Adeuya, ONAC expressed grave concern over rising tensions between the Ijaw and Itsekiri communities within the Warri Federal Constituency.
The group warned that the escalating unrest could spiral into a wider regional conflict, potentially entangling the Yoruba Nation.
ONAC traced the roots of the current tensions to the historical Warri crisis, marked by widespread destruction of Itsekiri communities.
The situation worsened, they said, with the controversial relocation of the Warri South-West Local Government headquarters from Ogidigben, an Itsekiri town, to Ogbe-Ijoh, an Ijaw settlement.
Further exacerbating the situation, ONAC noted that following the return of democracy in 1999, the Itsekiri homeland—formerly the Old Warri Local Government Area—was split into three councils: Warri South, Warri North, and Warri South-West. In the new arrangement, the Itsekiri secured six wards each in Warri North and Warri South-West, while the Ijaw received four wards in each. In Warri South, the Itsekiri reportedly held eight and a half wards, with the Urhobo community allocated one and a half wards.
The group lamented what they described as a historical injustice, stating:
“It is conveniently forgotten that in the old Warri Local Government Area, the Itsekiri controlled 10 wards, while the Ijaw had two and the Urhobo had one, as recorded in INEC’s archives.”
They further questioned how, without logical demographic justification, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) allegedly altered these ratios during the restructuring process. ONAC also criticized the merging of the Warri and Warri North federal constituencies into a single constituency while the second was moved to the predominantly Ijaw Burutu area.
Additionally, the coalition highlighted a 12-ward structure created by INEC for Warri South Local Government, which had been legally challenged by the Itsekiri community. Despite a court ruling ordering INEC to revert to the original 10-ward structure, ONAC claims INEC has deliberately ignored the judgment.
The coalition also condemned the National Assembly’s recognition of “Okerenkoko”—an Ijaw name for the site of the Maritime University—over “Okerenghigho,” the Itsekiri name validated by the Supreme Court.
ONAC accused INEC of “murdering sleep” by proposing further delineation of electoral wards in Delta State, despite pending court cases and clear judicial pronouncements. They alleged that these actions effectively marginalized the Itsekiri and ceded their lands to the Ijaw.
Furthermore, ONAC criticized the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) for awarding surveillance and security contracts, including Itsekiri homelands, to Tantita Security Nigeria Ltd., a firm they claim is owned by elements hostile to the Itsekiri.
Concluding their statement, ONAC appealed to President Tinubu and NSA Ribadu to take immediate action to prevent a major crisis that could engulf Delta State and the entire Niger Delta region.