• 06 Jul, 2025
• Faith Kegh
• No comment

Itsekiri Demand Creation of Warri State, Oppose Proposed Toru-Ebe State.

The Itsekiri people of Warri Kingdom in Delta State have called f

or the creation of a new Warri State with its capital in Warri town. They also voiced opposition to the proposed creation of Toru-Ebe State by the Ijaw ethnic group.

This position was presented during the South-South Zonal Public Hearing on the Constitution Amendment Bills, held in Ikot Ekpene by the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution.

Leading the Itsekiri delegation, Chief Edward Ekpoko, Chairman of the Itsekiri Leaders of Thought (ILoT), emphasized that the group’s primary demand is for a constitutional clause that protects minority rights. He noted that the demand for Warri State stems from years of underrepresentation and marginalization.

Joining the Itsekiris in opposing Toru-Ebe State were the Ilaje people of Ondo State and the Binis of Edo State. They argued that the Ijaws are proposing a state on land historically belonging to other ethnic groups, whom they described as “landlords.”

In their memorandum, signed by Ekpoko and ILoT Secretary Sir Amorighoye Mene, and presented by Clement Omotoye, the Itsekiri stressed that state creation, in itself, will not solve the root causes of agitation. Instead, many ethnic groups are seeking autonomy and recognition.

Omotoye pointed out the significant contributions of the Itsekiri to Nigeria’s oil and gas sector—estimated at over 33%—yet the group lacks adequate political representation. The Itsekiri currently have no senator and only one representative in the Federal House of Representatives out of 360 seats, and just two out of 29 seats in the Delta State House of Assembly.

He argued that the growing calls for state creation are driven by ethnic identity and a desire for self-determination, not necessarily to address development or administrative imbalances.

The group recommended that ethnic and linguistic similarities should be the main factor in determining federating units. They also urged that constitutional protections be put in place to safeguard minority groups, similar to provisions in the defunct Midwestern Nigeria Constitution.

The Itsekiri emphasized that any new federal arrangements should allow contiguous minority groups to form new states, as long as safeguards are in place to protect each group’s rights and identity.

Faith Kegh

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