Isoko Youth Assembly Rejects ISOPLOT’s Interference In Warri Matters

The Isoko National Youth Assembly (INYA) has unequivocally denounced the unauthorized comments made by a self-styled group known as ISOPLOT concerning the delineation of Warri Federal Constituency.

INYA President, Comrade Eniwake Orogun and Secretary-General, Governor Emumena, emphasized that the Isoko people are not part of the Warri constituency and described ISOPLOT’s intervention as an act of misplaced aggression, calling it both unhelpful and provocative.

He urged the group to focus instead on core Isoko issues—chief among them, the demand for the restoration of the second state constituency in Isoko North unjustly suppressed by INEC.

It is with profound concern and a necessary sense of duty that the Isoko National Youth Assembly Worldwide (INYA Worldwide), the umbrella body representing Isoko youths globally, is compelled to address a recent publication masquerading as the voice of the Isoko people.

We categorically denounce and disassociate the entire Isoko Nation from the press statement issued on June 16th, 2025, by an obscure entity called “Isoko Political Youth Leaders of Thought” (ISOPLOT).

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While the Nigerian constitution guarantees freedom of association and expression, this fundamental right does not confer legitimacy or authority upon any random collection of individuals to arrogate to themselves the mantle of speaking for the Isoko youths, let alone the Isoko nation.

ISOPLOT is unknown to the Isoko socio-political structure. It possesses no mandate, no broad-based membership, and no traceable lineage within our established youth leadership frameworks. It is, at best, an unauthorized and potentially mischievous subgroup operating in the shadows.

The core subject of the ISOPLOT statement – the INEC ward delineation exercise in Warri Metropolis – is fundamentally NOT an Isoko issue. The Isoko people are not constituents of the Warri Federal Constituency. The delineation exercise primarily concerns the territorial and political dynamics between the Ijaw, Itsekiri, and Urhobo ethnic groups within that specific geographical area.

We are utterly perplexed by ISOPLOT’s motives in dragging the Isoko Nation into this complex inter-ethnic matter. What business does an Isoko group have dictating terms or stoking fears about ward allocations in Warri, a territory far removed from our ancestral lands and political jurisdiction? This unwarranted interference raises serious questions about ISOPLOT’s true sponsors and intentions.

While ISOPLOT fabricates outrage over Warri, the Isoko nation has a legitimate and pressing grievance with INEC that they conveniently ignore. Prior to the last statewide delineation exercise, Isoko North Local Government Area had TWO State Constituencies. This was in recognition of our population and contribution. Shockingly and unjustly, INEC reduced Isoko North to just ONE constituency.

This reduction is a blatant injustice, particularly for a people who contribute significantly to the national coffers, notably producing the largest volume of onshore crude oil in Nigeria. We demand the immediate restoration of our second State Constituency in Isoko North. This is the INEC and judicial matter that rightfully commands the attention and advocacy of genuine Isoko representatives, not meddling in Warri’s affairs.

Despite our categorical rejection of ISOPLOT’s unauthorized statement and its inflammatory undertones, we recognize that heightened tensions in Warri or anywhere in Delta South have the potential for negative spillover effects. We therefore urge all parties directly involved in the Warri delineation issue – the Ijaw, Itsekiri, Urhobo communities, INEC, and relevant state and federal authorities – to engage in dialogue, exercise maximum restraint, and act with utmost caution.

The paramount objectives must be equity, fairness, inclusion, and the preservation of the hard-won peace and progress of our dear Delta State. We stand against any actions or rhetoric that threaten this stability.