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From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
Abuja was tense on Wednesday as youths and stakeholders from Warri Federal Constituency staged a peaceful protest at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), demanding the immediate implementation of the Supreme Court ordered ward delineation report.
The protesters, drawn from Warri South, Warri North and Warri South-West local government areas, accused INEC of deliberately delaying the process despite completing fieldwork and releasing a report in April 2025.
Speaking for the group, Comrade Ellington Bakumo said the commission conducted the delineation exercise transparently and in collaboration with all ethnic groups in the area.
“INEC went into our creeks and communities, met all stakeholders and came out with a clear report. What we are asking for is simple: implement it before the 2027 elections,” he said.
Bakumo warned that the continued delay was already generating tension in the Niger Delta and could jeopardise the conduct of elections in the constituency.
According to the protesters, the Supreme Court ordered a fresh delineation after the former 10-ward structure allegedly favoured one ethnic group while marginalising others, particularly the Ijaw and Urhobo.
Another speaker, Comrade Freeborn Ebimaye Abraye, said the judgment was meant to correct long-standing electoral injustice in the area.
“The delineation reflects the true population of Warri Federal Constituency. Any further delay will amount to continued disenfranchisement of our people,” he said.
The group lamented that political activities in the constituency had been crippled, claiming that voter registration and preparations for future elections were stalled due to the absence of legally recognised wards.
They also called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene, warning that the matter could escalate into a broader security concern if ignored.
Receiving the protesters’ letter on behalf of the commission, INEC’s Director of Security, Ndidi Okafor, assured them that their demands would be promptly conveyed to the appropriate authorities.
