WARRI- A simmering political and land dispute has erupted in Warri South Local Government Area, with the Pessu Family warning the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against moves to rename Pessu Ward or carve out a new one for the Ijaw community.
In a petition dated July 31, 2025, and addressed to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Abuja,, Prof . Mahmood Yakubu ,the family—through their solicitors, A.J. Oshiokpelua & Co.—urged the electoral body to reject what they described as “falsehood and distorted facts” contained in a letter from the Ereku/Ogisi Family of Odion Town.
The Ereku/Ogisi Family’s letter, dated April 22, 2025, and written by Ikhide Ehighelua & Co., reportedly sought to have Pessu Ward renamed “Ereku Ward 1,” claiming ownership of areas including Pessu Town.
The Pessu Family, however, insisted that Pessu Ward and all its constituent areas—such as Pessu Town, Pessu Waterside, Pessu Market, Pessu Lane, Pessu Road, Pessu Layout (Ikpara), and Pessu Garage—have belonged exclusively to them “from time immemorial,” founded by Chief Pessu Ebiowa centuries before the advent of the British colonial administration.
According to the petition, when British Consul General Sir Macdonald visited Warri in 1891, Chief Pessu Ebiowa and Chief Ogbe of Ugbuwangue were among the Itsekiri leaders he met, underscoring the town’s longstanding heritage.
The family warned that any attempt to rename the ward or carve out a new one for the Ijaw community could trigger “heavy unrest, anarchy and commotion” in the area.
They alleged that some individuals were “clandestinely” lobbying INEC to create a new ward from Pessu lands, which they argued would amount to an unjust land grab.
“There is no treaty between the Ereku/Ogisi Family and the British Colonial Government giving them any parcel of Pessu land,” the petition stated, adding that Ijaws in the area, such as the late Chief Eselemo, occupied land only by lease from the Pessu Family.
The family also clarified that the Odion area where the Ereku/Ogisi Family resides is “completely different and a distance from Pessu Town” and that neither they nor the Ijaws have ownership rights in the disputed territory.
They urged INEC to maintain the existing ward boundaries, reject the April 22 letter, and avoid being “deceived and used” to facilitate unfounded land claims.
Copies of the petition were sent to the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and INEC’s Warri Office.
