Delta leaders threaten to petition INEC chairman to NJC, allege external interference in delineation crisis

From Joe Obukata Ogbodu, Warri

Leaders of Ijaw and Urhobo ethnic groups of Warri Federal Constituency, Delta State, have threatened to petition the National Judicial Council (NJC) against the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, accusing him of defying Supreme Court-ordered Warri Federal constituency delineation.

They argued that as a law professor and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Amupitan’s actions were compromising the 2027 elections and endangering Nigerian democracy.

Addressing a press conference in Warri, yesterday, the leaders raised alarm over external interference in the implementation of the ward delineation report.

In a joint statement by the representatives of the Ijaw and Urhobo peoples read by High Chief Godspower Gbenekama, they accused the Presidency and the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) of interfering with the INEC to stall the implementation processes.

Gbenekama, who was flanked by Denbo-Denbofa Oweikpodor,  alongside Chief Femi Okumagba and other leaders of the ethnic groups, said INEC had on May 20, presented its final report on the fresh delineation of the Warri Federal Constituency in Asaba.

They disclosed that the presentation, made by the INEC National Commissioner, Alhaji Abdulrazaq Tukur Yusuf on behalf of Prof. Amupitan established 20 registration areas/electoral wards across Warri North, Warri South and Warri South-West local government areas.

It also created two additional state constituencies to ensure better representation for Warri Federal constituency in the 2027 general elections.

However, 10 days after promising immediate implementation, including directing political parties to hold primaries for the newly created constituencies, INEC has reportedly failed to act.

The Ijaw and Urhobo leaders alleged that the delay was the result of external pressures.

“We have it on good authority that INEC’s failure to immediately implement the report of the fresh delineation as promised, is as a result of external interference by the Presidency, which ordered that the implementation of the final report be put on hold.

“The current INEC chairman, as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and a law professor, is expected to uphold the rule of law and serve as a role model for younger lawyers. Instead, he’s blocking and frustrating processes ordered by the Supreme Court, he is undermining the judiciary.

“This behaviour threatens the integrity of the 2027 general elections and democracy as a whole. If this persists for another day or two, a formal petition will be submitted to the National Judicial Council’s disciplinary committee to review his actions.

“We are losing faith in the INEC chairman. As a senior advocate of Nigeria and a professor of law, he should be defending Supreme Court’s judgments, not defying them. His actions are actively stalling court-ordered processes, which puts both our democracy and the upcoming 2027 general elections in jeopardy.

“He is given a maximum of two days to rectify this, after which we will petition the National Judicial Council to hold him accountable,” the leaders vowed.

The leaders who were backed by protesting youths and women, during the press briefing, condemned the alleged presidential intervention, calling it a direct assault on the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

They cited Section 161, which guarantees INEC’s independence from executive control and Section 287 (2), which mandates all government agencies to enforce Supreme Court judgments without delay.

The delineation follows a final apex court ruling in the case of SC/413/2016: Hon. George U. Timinimi & Ors v. INEC.

The leaders also faulted claims from the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) regarding potential security risks.

They labelled the security concerns a “subterfuge by the Presidency to alter the final report of the delineation to favour the Itsekiri ethnic group.”

Chief Gbenekama argued that if any group was threatening the peace over the court judgment, the NSA should enforce the law against those individuals rather than halting a constitutional process.

Drawing historical parallels, the statement compared the current tension to political manoeuvers in 1952 by the old Western Region government, which altered local traditional titles without considering Warri’s multi-ethnic composition.

The leaders insisted that significant concessions had already been made to the Itsekiri ethnic group in the current delineation by increasing their electoral wards despite population metrics.

They emphasised that the Ijaw people of Egbema Kingdom in Warri North, who have suffered more than a century of political oppression, are eager to participate in the 2027 polls under the new format.

The leaders cautioned against any attempt to alter the May 20 final report, reminding the government of the bloody ethnic clashes that rocked Warri decades ago.

“It would be recalled that relocation of a local government headquarters from an Ijaw community to an Itsekiri community led to the unfortunate Warri crisis of 1997 to 2003. Hence, we must avoid a repeat of the past. A word is enough for the wise!” the statement added.

The community leaders called on the international community to monitor the situation, demanding that INEC should proceed with organising political party primaries based strictly on the un-altered final delineation report.