First Lady’s Name Dragged Into Warri Electoral Ward Crisis As NSA Invites Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo Leaders For Round-table Meeting

….as IYC alleges powerful forces attempt to subvert supreme court ruling, INEC

Youth leaders of the Ijaw and Urhobo ethnic nationalities, have alleged efforts to influence the Warri Federal Constituency delineation exercise through an orchestrated familial and political connections by Itsekiri ethnic nationality.

In a joint press conference held during the late Isaac Boro’s Day celebration in Warri, and read by Chief Monday Keme, principal secretary of HRM Mon Ene III, the Amakosu of Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom, they said that any attempt to subvert the outcome of the INEC ward delineation process would be a direct assault on Nigeria’s democracy.

They accused Itsekiri of clandestine efforts to coerce the National Security Adviser and the presidency into sabotaging the Supreme Court’s order through the involvement of prominent figures like Mrs. Daisy Danjuma, wife of General T.Y. Danjuma.

“We are also watching with keen interest how the Itsekiris are clandestinely working with Mrs. Daisy Danjuma, the wife of General T.Y. Danjuma to coerce the NSA and Mr. President, to help them achieve their selfish agenda of nullifying the painstaking work of INEC and frustrate the implementation of the Supreme Court judgment. 

“This ill-conceived effort to manipulate the implementation of a Supreme Court order through personal and familial connections must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. It is anti-democratic and a recipe for political unrest and conflict, which may plunge the entire Niger Delta into anarchy”.
 

The youth leaders also alleged that Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu, the First Lady of Nigeria and revered as the “Mother of the Nation,” is being exploited as a political pawn to revert the exercise.

They maintained that instead of serving as a neutral figure above ethnic politics, her maternal ties are allegedly being weaponized to sway decisions in favour of the Itsekiri minority, whose population in Warri is significantly overstated.

They warned that such manipulations—leveraging her revered status—are a dangerous deviation from democratic norms and a blatant attempt at ethnic baiting.

“The recent actions of the Itsekiri Nation in seeking to  influence the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, by casting insinuations and putting undue pressure on his wife, Her Excellency, Senator (Mrs.) Oluremi Tinubu is not only highly inappropriate but also a gross misrepresentation of the unity and integrity of our national politics. 

“The Itsekiri’s attempts to leverage the maternal lineage of the First Lady to coerce the President into making certain political decisions is a blatant and unjustified move. It should be seen for what it is, an opportunistic move and crass attempt at ethnic baiting. We believe the President and the First Lady with solid democratic credentials will not fall for this ill-conceived and mischievous lure to reduce them”.

The youth leaders vehemently rejected “any interference aimed at distorting electoral boundaries or undermining the rule of law, warning that if these manipulations persist, they will respond with the full force of their economic and political power, including shutting down vital oil facilities, to defend their rights and uphold justice.

They however accused a prominent traditional ruler in Delta State of allegedly sheltering a notorious gun runner linked to plot to incite unrest in Warri, saying that evidence suggests that the traditional ruler, allegedly working in concert with security agencies and high-profile political figures, have been complicit in criminal cover-ups—threatening to plunge the Niger Delta into chaos.

Meanwhile, the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu has reportedly extended invitation to some leaders of Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo ethnic nationalities over the ward delineation saga.

IYC’s youth leaders hinted of the invitation on Friday, warning that the recent invite by the NSA office for a round table discussion with the Ijaws, Itsekiris and Urhobos of Warri must be done with caution,

They claimed that the invitation came after Chief Ayiri Emami, Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom had raised the alarm over the reported discrepancies in the delineation exercise.

“We do not want to preempt any possible outcome of this meeting, but we strongly warned that those who will be attending the said meeting must not compromise on anything that will subvert the genuine decision of INEC. 

“Finally, We strongly urge all concerned parties, especially the office of the NSA to respect the independence and impartiality of INEC and to refrain from any further attempts to manipulate or distort the delineation process ordered by the Supreme Court. 

“The Nigerian people deserve a transparent and democratic delineation system that reflects the true will of the electorate, free from coercion, intimidation, or undue influence. INEC as a constitutionally independent and unbiased umpire, let her decision on this matter be final and Mr President must not involve himself with this. It is a known practice that whoever is not satisfied with the decision of INEC should go to court, just as the Ijaws did and pursued their case for more than ten years”.