Moses Ofodeme
Representatives of the Ijaw and Itsekiri ethnic nationalities in Delta State have agreed on a power-sharing arrangement for the proposed Warri Federal Constituency II following the intervention of President Bola Tinubu aimed at resolving the lingering dispute over electoral ward delineation in the area.
The agreement was reached on Friday after a meeting convened at the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, in Abuja.
The meeting followed an earlier engagement between President Tinubu and representatives of the Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo ethnic groups from Warri Federal Constituency at the Presidential Villa on June 11. Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, also attended the meeting.
According to the resolution signed by representatives of the Ijaw and Itsekiri groups and witnessed by stakeholders, the parties agreed on a rotational arrangement for the House of Representatives seat in the proposed Warri Federal Constituency II.
Under the agreement, the House of Representatives seat will rotate between the Ijaw and Itsekiri ethnic groups, with the Ijaw nationality taking the first turn for two consecutive terms before the seat shifts to the Itsekiri for a similar tenure.
The meeting at the NSA’s office, which lasted about two hours, was chaired by Ribadu and attended by the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi.
The power-sharing deal is expected to ease tensions arising from the ward delineation exercise proposed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which had sparked disagreements among ethnic groups in the Warri area.
President Tinubu had directed two representatives from each of the three ethnic nationalities to meet under the supervision of the Federal Government to consolidate the gains of the June 11 meeting and find a mutually acceptable framework for political representation in the proposed constituency.
The agreement was signed on behalf of the Ijaw nationality by former Deputy Governor of Delta State, Kingsley Otuaro, and Dr. Eric Omare, while Sir A.S. Mene and Chief Robinson Ariyo signed for the Itsekiri nationality.
National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu signed on behalf of the Federal Government, while Olorogun Victor Okumagba and Chief Westham Adehor witnessed the agreement.
The resolution is seen as a major breakthrough in efforts to maintain peace and foster political inclusiveness among the ethnic groups in the Warri area ahead of future electoral contests.