The Community Safety Vanguard has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, for facilitating a power-sharing agreement between the Ijaw and Itsekiri ethnic groups over the proposed Warri Federal Constituency II, describing the intervention as a major step toward preserving peace in the Niger Delta.
In a statement issued on Friday by its National Coordinator, Comrade Abbas Johnson, the group praised President Tinubu for directing a timely intervention that it said prevented a potential ethnic crisis arising from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ward delineation exercise in Warri, Delta State.
The group also lauded Ribadu’s leadership, describing his approach to conflict resolution as pragmatic, honest and result-oriented. It said his efforts were instrumental in brokering the historic agreement between the Ijaw and Itsekiri communities.
According to the statement, the intervention, carried out on the directive of President Tinubu, helped avert what could have escalated into widespread ethnic violence and a breakdown of law and order in the Niger Delta.
The agreement was reached during a high-level meeting chaired by Ribadu in Abuja and attended by representatives of the Ijaw and Itsekiri ethnic nationalities, alongside senior government officials, including the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi.
Under the agreement, the House of Representatives seat for the proposed Warri Federal Constituency II will rotate between the two ethnic groups. The Ijaw nationality will occupy the seat for the first two consecutive terms before it rotates to the Itsekiri for the following two terms.
The Community Safety Vanguard described the arrangement as equitable and capable of promoting lasting peace, fairness and political inclusion.
The group recalled that the agreement followed a meeting convened by President Tinubu with Delta stakeholders at the Presidential Villa on June 11, 2026, where he directed representatives of the three ethnic nationalities involved in the dispute to work under Ribadu’s supervision to develop a mutually acceptable political framework.
It said the successful mediation reflected the President’s commitment to resolving conflicts through dialogue and demonstrated his confidence in the National Security Adviser’s capacity to manage sensitive national issues.
Signatories to the agreement included former Delta State Deputy Governor Kingsley Otuaro and Eric Omare for the Ijaw nationality, while A. S. Mene and Robinson Ariyo signed on behalf of the Itsekiri.
Ribadu endorsed the agreement for the Federal Government, while Victor Okumagba and Westham Adehor served as witnesses.
The Community Safety Vanguard further commended Ribadu’s personal qualities, saying his calm disposition, integrity and consensus-building approach inspired confidence among the parties and contributed significantly to the peaceful resolution of the dispute.
The group concluded that the mediation not only prevented a potential conflict but also strengthened public confidence in the Federal Government’s ability to address complex ethnic and political disputes through dialogue rather than coercion.
It urged stakeholders across the Niger Delta and the country to emulate the example by prioritising peace, inclusive governance and national unity.
