The Warri South-West Unity and Development Forum has dismissed a recent publication by a group known as the “Itsekiri Democratic Forum” as misleading, divisive, and politically motivated, warning that such statements could incite ethnic tension in the area.
In a statement addressed to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori on Friday, the Forum said the publication was “filled with falsehood, historical distortions, inflammatory statements, and deliberate attempts to create ethnic tension in Warri South-West Local Government Area for selfish political objectives.”
Coordinator of the Forum, Pastor Arex Akemotubo, said the group decided to respond because of the “dangerous nature of the statements and their potential to incite unrest.”
“The individuals who signed the document are largely unknown within the mainstream political and community leadership structure of Warri South-West. However, because of the dangerous nature of the statements, we find it necessary to set the records straight before the general public,” Akemotubo said.
He singled out the claim that “two Ijaw men” were occupying both the council chairmanship and House of Assembly seat as false and deceptive.
“This claim is false, deceptive, and intellectually dishonest. The records are very clear. When Hon. David Tonwe, an Itsekiri son, served as Chairman of Warri South-West Local Government Council, Hon. Daniel Mayuku, also an Itsekiri son, was simultaneously representing Warri South-West Constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly,” he stated.
Akemotubo also faulted the publication’s assertion that Hon. Daniel Mayuku served only two terms in the Assembly, describing it as “completely untrue.”
“Public political records clearly show that Hon. Daniel Mayuku was a four-term member of the Delta State House of Assembly representing Warri South-West Constituency. Even national and state media reports acknowledged him as a fourth-term lawmaker during his service in the Assembly,” he said.
On the office of the Deputy Governor, the Forum said it was “never zoned specifically to Warri South-West Local Government Area” but was conceded to the Ijaw ethnic nationality in Delta State under the 2015-2023 political arrangement.
The Forum also condemned what it called an attempt to undermine the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Dennis Guwor.
“Rt. Hon. Guwor remains one of the most prominent and respected political leaders produced by Warri South-West in modern times. As Speaker, he has brought honour, visibility, stability, and maturity to legislative governance in Delta State,” Akemotubo said.
He urged security agencies to “closely monitor and investigate those behind this publication and any group attempting to fan the embers of ethnic crisis in Warri South-West through provocative and inciting statements,” adding that “the peace of Warri South-West is bigger than the ambition of any politician.”
The Forum commended Governor Oborevwori for his “inclusive leadership style and commitment to sustaining peace and development across Delta State” and said it remained confident he would “continue to promote fairness, stability, and unity without yielding to pressure from divisive political merchants.”
“Warri South-West belongs to all ethnic nationalities. Peace, unity, and development must remain our collective priority,” the statement concluded.
