Representatives of the Itsekiri ethnic group in Delta State have opposed the proposal for the creation of Toru-Ebe State by the Ijaw ethnic group and instead called for the establishment of Warri State with Warri township as its capital.

The demand was presented at the South-South Zonal Public Hearing on constitutional amendment bills, hosted by the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State.

Chief Edward Ekpoko, Chairman of the Itsekiri Leaders of Thought (ILoT) and Tolureju of Warri Kingdom, led the Itsekiri delegation and submitted a memorandum jointly signed by himself, Sir Amorighoye Mene (Secretary), and Clement Omotoye.

Presenting the document, Omotoye told the committee that the Itsekiri people believe the creation of new states, including the proposed Toru-Ebe State, will not address the fundamental causes of ethnic agitation in the country. Instead, he said the focus should be on constitutional protections for minority groups.

“The cry for creation of more states in Nigeria is not motivated by the need to correct any inter-state or zonal imbalance or development. What the people want really is ethnic or sub-ethnic self-determination, and this is a natural tendency,” he said.

The memorandum advocated for a constitutional clause similar to that contained in the former Midwestern Nigeria Constitution, which provided protections for ethnic minorities.

“The Itsekiri ethnic nationality demands provision of minority protection clause as contained in defunct Midwestern Nigeria Constitution be included in our constitution to protect the Itsekiri and other ethnic minorities,” Omotoye stated.

He also argued that ethnic and linguistic identity should be the main consideration in any restructuring of Nigeria’s federal system.

“It is our position that ethnic/linguistic affinity should be the main consideration in constituting the federating units and not the artificially created/decreed states or regions or zones. Contiguous group of ethnic/linguistic minorities can be brought together to constitute a federating unit provided there are provisions in the constitution to protect each group as it was in the Midwestern Nigeria Constitution,” he said.

The Itsekiri, joined by representatives of the Ilaje of Ondo State and the Bini of Edo State, objected to the Ijaw demand for Toru-Ebe State because the areas proposed for the new state include territories they regard as historically belonging to their own ethnic groups.

Ekpoko also pointed to political underrepresentation of the Itsekiri people at both federal and state levels, despite contributing significantly to national oil and gas revenues.

“The Itsekiri produce over 33% of the oil and gas that sustain the Nigerian nation and sadly have no representative at the Senate of 109 members because of their minority position. It has only one Federal House of Representatives seat of the 360 seats. Of the 29 members of the Delta State House of Assembly, it has only two,” he said.

The delegation maintained that the creation of Warri State, alongside constitutional guarantees for minority rights, would address longstanding issues of marginalisation and ensure political equity.