Traditional leaders in Warri have urged Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, to prioritize supporting President Bola Tinubu in addressing the country’s worsening security challenges rather than becoming involved in local governance matters within the Niger Delta.
Traditional chiefs have urged First Lady Oluremi Tinubu to redirect her attention to supporting her husband, President Bola Tinubu, in addressing the country’s pressing security challenges including widespread kidnappings rather than involving herself in Warri’s local governance affairs.
The remarks follow her February homecoming to Warri Kingdom, during which the Olu of Warri conferred on her the chieftaincy title of Utukpa-Oritse Iwere and she pledged N50 million in support of women traders in the area.
The chiefs’ comments reflect deeper ethnic tensions simmering in Warri over ward boundary disputes, with Itsekiri, Urhobo, and Ijaw communities at odds over local territorial issues.
Her perceived involvement in the area’s governance has apparently unsettled some traditional stakeholders who feel such matters should remain within local jurisdiction.
The development also carries a political dimension, with Delta State’s governor describing President Tinubu as a state “in-law” a remark widely read as a gesture of political alignment ahead of the 2027 general elections.