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From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
Tension rose in Abuja 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.
The protesters, drawn from Warri South, Warri North and Warri South-West Local Government Areas of Delta State, accused INEC of deliberately delaying the exercise despite completing fieldwork and releasing its delineation report in April 2025.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Comrade Ellington Bakumor, spokesperson for Operation Rescue Ijaw Nation Crusaders, said the commission conducted the exercise transparently and in collaboration with all ethnic groups in the area.
“INEC went into our creeks and communities, met with all stakeholders and produced a clear report. What we are asking for is simple: implement it before the 2027 elections,” Bakumor said.
He warned that the continued delay was already heightening tension in the Niger Delta and could jeopardise the conduct of elections in Warri Federal Constituency.
According to the protesters, the Supreme Court ordered a fresh ward delineation after the former 10-ward structure allegedly favoured one ethnic group while marginalising others, particularly the Ijaw and Urhobo communities.
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Another speaker, Comrade Freeborn Ebimaye Abraye, deputy coordinator of Operation Rescue Ijaw Nation Crusaders, said the judgment was intended to correct long-standing electoral injustice.
“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 also lamented that political activities in the constituency had been stalled, claiming that voter registration and preparations for future elections could not proceed due to the absence of legally recognised wards.
They called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene, warning that failure to address the issue could escalate into a broader security concern.
Receiving the protesters’ petition on behalf of INEC, the commission’s Director of Security, Ndidi Okafor, assured them that their demands would be promptly conveyed to the appropriate authorities.
