The Warri Urhobo APC Leadership Council has raised alarm and sounded a very strong note of caution, over what it has described as a lack of inclusivity and transparency in the composition of invitees for the forthcoming LGA Congress Leadership meeting, by the out-going Warri South APC Chairman, Mr. Mario Owumi.
The grievance of the group was contained in a petition addressed to the Delta State APC Chairman, Elder Omeni Sobotie, dated February 13, 2026, and addressed to the Delta State Chairman of APC, Elder Omeni Sobotie, the Urhobo leaders accused the outgoing Warri South LGA APC Chairman, Mr. Mario Owumi, of unilaterally selecting leaders for the meeting scheduled for February 14, 2026.
According to the document made available to the media, the Warri Urhobo APC leaders said the outgoing Party Chairman in the LGA, had refused to make public the list of invitees for the party meeting ahead of the congress of the ruling party to select and elect new leadership.
The petition, signed by: Olorogun Bernard Okumagba (Chairman), Hon. Chief Benson Obire (Vice 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, urged the state leadership of the party to swiftly address the potentially dangerous situation, ahead of the meeting.
The full petition is published below:
WARRI URHOBO APC LEADERSHIP COUNCIL
February 13, 2026
The Chairman,
All Progressives Congress (APC)
Delta State
Dear Sir,
PROTEST OVER COMPOSITION OF APC WARRI SOUTH LGA CONGRESS LEADERSHIP MEETING INVITEES – UNACCEPTABLE CONDUCT AND LACK OF INCLUSIVITY, BALANCE AND TRANSPARENCY BY THE OUTGOING WARRI SOUTH APC CHAIRMAN MR. MARIO OWUMI
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.
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.
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.
Yours faithfully,
For and on behalf of
Warri Urhobo APC Leadership
Olorogun Bernard Okumagba (Chairman)
Hon. Chief Benson Obire (Vice 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
Chief Peter Agiri