By Jose Oby 
Warri, Delta State – May 19, 2025
Tension is rising in Warri South Local Government Area following a protest by leaders of the Urhobo ethnic group over their exclusion from a scheduled stakeholders meeting with the National Security Adviser (NSA) on the contentious delineation exercise ordered by a federal court and carried out by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In a strongly worded protest letter addressed to the NSA, representatives of the Urhobos of Warri South expressed their displeasure at being sidelined in the consultative meeting, despite their consistent participation in previous engagements on the delineation issue.
The letter, signed by Chief Dr. (Dcn.) Westham Adehor, JP, and Hon. Mark Ikpuri, emphasized that the Urhobos have always represented their interests in all stakeholder meetings initiated by INEC. However, they claim that the latest INEC field report fails to accurately reflect the Urhobo presence and demographics in the region.
“We wrote series of letters to INEC to state our position — that the Ijaws are not part of Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State — and the areas captured in the delineation report are Agbarha areas,” the letter states.
The Urhobo leaders also referenced a joint press conference held on April 30, 2025, between Urhobo and Ijaw representatives, which was published in Vanguard on May 2, 2025. The press conference raised concerns over the delineation exercise and its potential impact on peace and security within the Warri Federal Constituency.
Expressing shock at their exclusion from the NSA’s meeting dated May 19, 2025, the Urhobo representatives are now demanding to be granted audience to ensure their people are properly represented and their concerns heard.
“We choose to be granted audience to be part of this meeting for proper representation of our people,” the letter concluded, with accompanying documentation to support their claims and correspondence history.
As the controversy over the delineation continues, stakeholders and security agencies are being urged to ensure inclusive dialogue and fair representation to avoid further escalation of tensions in the oil-rich region.