By Charles Pemu 
The Itsekiri ethnic group of Delta State has called on the Nigerian Senate to create a Warri State with its capital in Warri township, citing deep-rooted historical, cultural, and political justifications.
The appeal was made at the South-South Zonal Public Hearing on the review of the 1999 Constitution, held by the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendment in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State.
Represented by Chief Edward Ekpoko, Chairman of the Itsekiri Leaders of Thought (ILoT), the group also strongly opposed the Ijaw ethnic group’s proposal for the creation of Toru-Ebe State, which they claim includes ancestral lands of the Itsekiri, Ilaje (Ondo State), and Bini (Edo State) peoples.
“The Ijaw are tenants on parts of the land they want to include in Toru-Ebe,” Chief Ekpoko stated. “There’s no justification for tenants to claim ownership over their landlords’ lands.”
The Itsekiri delegation insisted that state creation should be based on ethnic and linguistic identity rather than landmass or population size. They expressed long-standing concerns over political marginalization, despite being a key contributor to the nation’s oil wealth reportedly producing over 33% of Nigeria’s oil and gas.
“Despite our contributions, we have only one seat in the House of Representatives and two in the Delta State House of Assembly,” Ekpoko noted.
To address this, the group called for constitutional protection of minority ethnic groups, similar to clauses in the defunct Midwestern Nigeria Constitution. If such safeguards are not included, they argued, then the creation of Warri State comprising Warri North, Warri South, and Warri South West LGAs should proceed.
The memorandum, jointly signed by leaders of the Itsekiri, Ilaje, and Bini ethnic nationalities, accused the Ijaw of attempting to rewrite regional history and impose political dominance through the Toru-Ebe proposal.
Senate Deputy President Barau Jibrin, who chaired the hearing, said the constitutional review aims to enhance governance, fairness, and national unity. Senate President Godswill Akpabio and other South-South senators were also present.