By Victor Lewis
Stakeholders and leaders of Urhobo extraction of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Warri South Local Government Area have collectively petitioned the State chairman of the party, Elder Engr. Omeni Sobotie, protesting the unilateral and lopsided invitation of party leaders to the Party Congress Meeting of the LG by the outgoing chairman, Mr. Mario Owuni.
The Protest Letter collectively signed by key APC leaders in Warri South including Olorogun Bernard Okumagba (chairman),
Chief Vincent Okudolor (Secretary), Chief Dr. Westham Adehor, Hon. Mark Ikpuri, Rev. Canon David Otofia, Olorogun Victor Okumagba, Chief Isaac Emifoniye, Chief Ann Gagiyovwi and Chief Peter Agiri, accused the outgoing chairman of the party, Mr. Mario Owuni of favouring leaders from the Itsekiri ethnic extraction as invitees to the Congress meeting.
The petition reads in part: “We write to formally express our deep concern and dissatisfaction regarding the arrangements for the forthcoming APC Warri South Local Government Congress Leadership meeting scheduled for 14th February 2026.
“It is our understanding that the Delta State Party hierarchy directed outgoing Local Government Party Chairmen (including the Warri South APC Local Government Party Chairman) to consult and come up with the list of Leaders to jointly determine the modalities for the Local Government Congress and election of the LGA officials. This directive was clear and intended to ensure fairness, balance, and inclusiveness among stakeholders.
“However, to the greatest surprise of the Urhobo people in Warri South Local Government, the outgoing Party Chairman in Warri South LGA, Mr. Mario Owumi, who is of Itsekiri extraction, has unilaterally selected and sent out text messages from his phone to leaders of his own choosing for the Leadership meeting.
“There has been no transparency as Mr. Owumi did this without any consultation with the Urhobo Leadership in the LGA. Mr. Mario Owumi has also refused to comply with the requirements of transparency and balance as has been done in other LGAs by allowing a review of the full list of the Leaders he is inviting for this meeting. He has drawn up the list himself, kept it to himself and refused to allow a review of the list by Stakeholders.
“He is sending out text messages unilaterally to Leaders that he has unilaterally selected. This development clearly undermines the principle of equal representation and appears to be a deliberate attempt to create an imbalance in favor of the Itsekiri at the said meeting.
“Such an approach is inconsistent with the directive of the State Party leadership and with the practice of transparency observed in other Local Government Areas”.
The petitioners/protesters however appealed to the State Chairman, Elder Engr. Omeni Sobotie, to call the APC chairman, Warri South LGA, “Mr. Owuni, to order to ensure fairness, equality and balance in the selection of leaders for the meeting in line with the Urhobo and Itsekiri constitution of party stakeholders in the area.
“In view of the above, we respectfully call on you to: clearly specify and enforce equal representation of Urhobo and Itsekiri leaders for the meeting, in line with the State Party’s directive; and
Call the outgoing Warri South LGA Party Chairman, Mr. Mario Owumi, to order to ensure compliance, proper consultation, equal representation and fairness in the conduct of the Local Government Congress Leadership Meeting and the follow up election process of determining the next Warri South LGA Executive Committee”, the protesters stated.
They however disclosed that anything short of unfair representation in the invitation of leaders to the meeting will leave the Urhobo with no other option but to take other decisions to forestall the manipulative tendency of the outgoing LG chairman.
“We wish to state unequivocally that anything short of equal representation and a prior unveiling and review of the names of the leaders being invited to the Leadership Meeting will leave the Urhobo people with no option but to take further decisions as the outgoing Warri South LGA Party Chairman is currently manipulating the process for the Leadership meeting towards achieving biased and predetermined outcomes for the new Warri South APC LGA Exco.
“We trust in your leadership and sense of fairness to address this matter urgently in the interest of unity, justice, and the overall success of our great party in Warri South LGA”, the petitioners concluded.
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