Ijaw/Urhobo to INEC, implement report on wards delineation

Nathan Tamarapreye, Yenagoa

The indigenous Ijaw and Urhobo in Warri Federal Constituency of Delta have accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of subverting the Supreme Court judgement and proceeded with the voters registration exercise in the constituency.

The two ethnic groups made the call at a press conference held on Monday in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of the state.

They described the action by the electoral umpire as criminal, illegal and contemptuous.

Mr Victor Okumagba from the Urhobo extraction read the statement endorsed by representatives from the two ethnic groups in the constituency on behalf of the people.

The Warri Federal Constituency comprised: Warri South, Warri North and Warri South-West Local Government Areas

The people also called on the electoral umpire to urgently release and implement the report on wards delineation painstakingly carried out by stakeholders in the constituency.

According to them, at the moment, there are no valid electoral wards and units in the constituency upon which the ongoing voter registration could stand.

They recalled that the Supreme Court, in its Dec. 2, 2022, judgement, ordered the

INEC to conduct a fresh delineation of all the electoral wards/polling units in the three local government areas for future elections.

They said that the key operative words in the Supreme Court judgement were that INEC should conduct a fresh delineation.

According to them, in the eyes of the law, there are no longer in existence electoral wards and units in Warri until the fresh exercise is concluded.

“The Supreme Court ordered INEC to delineate fresh wards and units in Warri presupposes that hitherto existing wards were flawed and does not satisfy the statutory requirement for credible future elections, they said.

The people said that in compliance with the Supreme Court order, the commission held several critical stakeholders’ meetings with representatives of the indigenous ethnic groups in Asaba.

“Specifically, INEC held a stakeholder meeting on Feb. 2, 2023, to inform stakeholders of the judgment and pleaded that they should be allowed to complete the 2023 electoral process, which had started before the judgment was delivered.

“A follow-up stakeholders meeting was held on April 4, 2023, where presentations were made on the guidelines for the field exercise by INEC.

“These stakeholders’ meetings culminated in weeks of stakeholders and INEC field works upon which a report was presented to stakeholders on April 4, 2025, in Asaba for review, with an expected proofread version incorporating minor corrections,” they said.

The people said that five months after the presentation, INEC had not published the final report; rather, it had decided to commence a future election process in gross violation of the Supreme Court Judgement.

They expressed belief that INEC had been compromised by external influences to delay the release and implementation of the crucial report till this moment.

According to them, the report is vital to defining and enhancing the democratic participation of the indigenous Ijaw and Urhobo people of the Warri Federal Constituency.

The people said that they would not stand idle and watch the electoral umpire fretting away their democratic franchise.

They, however, urged INEC to do the needful, declaring that a stitch in time saves nine.

Among the representatives were: Dr Joe Bisina, Dr Paul Bebenimibo, Rev. Samuel Ako, Chief Arthur Akpodubakaye, Mrs Margaret Ikinbor, Chief Monday Keme, Chief Emmanuel Sekondi and Chief David Reje , among others.