Group praises Tinubu, Ribadu over Ijaw-Itsekiri political power-sharing agreement

The Community Safety Vanguard has commended President Bola Tinubu and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, for brokering a power-sharing agreement between the Ijaw and Itsekiri ethnic nationalities over the proposed Warri Federal Constituency II in Delta State.

The group described the intervention by the Federal Government as a significant step toward preserving peace and preventing a potential ethnic conflict in the Niger Delta following the Independent National Electoral Commission’s ward delineation exercise in Warri.

The agreement was reached during a high-level meeting chaired by Ribadu in Abuja. The meeting brought together representatives of the Ijaw and Itsekiri ethnic groups, as well as top government officials, including the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi.

Under the terms of the agreement, the House of Representatives seat for the proposed Warri Federal Constituency II will rotate between the two ethnic nationalities.

The Ijaw nationality will occupy the seat for the first two consecutive terms, after which the position will rotate to the Itsekiri nationality for the following two terms.

The agreement was signed on behalf of the Ijaw by former Delta State Deputy Governor Kingsley Otuaro and Eric Omare, while A. S. Mene and Robinson Ariyo signed for the Itsekiri side.

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Ribadu endorsed the agreement on behalf of the Federal Government, with Victor Okumagba and Westham Adehor serving as witnesses.

The political arrangement followed a meeting convened by President Tinubu with Delta State stakeholders at the Presidential Villa on June 11, 2026.

At the meeting, the President directed representatives of the disputing ethnic groups to engage under Ribadu’s supervision and develop a mutually acceptable framework for political representation in the area.

Reacting to the development in a statement issued on Friday, the National Coordinator of the Community Safety Vanguard, Abbas Johnson, praised the President for what he described as a timely intervention and lauded Ribadu’s leadership throughout the negotiations.

According to the group, the agreement reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to dialogue, inclusion and peaceful conflict resolution.

It added that the intervention helped avert tensions that could have escalated into a wider ethnic crisis in the Niger Delta following the controversy surrounding the ward delineation exercise in Warri.

The Community Safety Vanguard urged all stakeholders to respect the agreement and work together to sustain peace, strengthen inter-ethnic cooperation and promote democratic stability in Delta State.