The Independent National Electoral Commission on Tuesday assured Urhobo and Ijaw groups from Delta State that their concerns over the ward delineation in Warri Federal Constituency would be addressed in line with the law.
This came after protesters from Warri North, Warri South, and Warri South West stormed INEC’s national headquarters in Abuja, demanding the release of the final report on the delineation of wards and polling units ordered by the Supreme Court in December 2022.
INEC National Commissioner Prof. Abdullahi Zuru, who received the demonstrators’ petition on behalf of Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, praised them for their peaceful approach.
“I want to thank you sincerely for this peaceful approach to handling these issues. You have read through your submission, and the people here have heard what you have said. I will tender this document that you have presented to the commission. The commission will look at this and act on it,” Zuru said.
He stressed that no community would be excluded from the democratic process. “There is no intention whatsoever to disenfranchise anybody from any democratic exercise. If we don’t ensure that every Nigerian participates, then we are failing in our duty — and that we will not do,” he added.
The protesters, however, expressed frustration that voter registration had already commenced without legal ward structures in the constituency.
In a petition signed by 16 representatives, the groups said, “We can no longer wait while our democratic rights, guaranteed by the constitution and reaffirmed by the Supreme Court judgment, are being eroded. INEC should immediately release and implement the report painstakingly embarked upon by stakeholders. We shall not idly stand by and watch our democratic rights and franchise fretted away.”
Ijaw leader David Jere, from Warri North, told INEC officials, “Today we have been waiting, and you have commenced the voter registration exercise. For Ijaws and Urhobos, we don’t have wards and units to register. So we came here to tell you to release the final reports of your exercise, so that we can go and participate in the ongoing CVR.”
Another protester pointed to the legal risks, saying, “With due respect, sir, in the eyes of the law, there is no existing ward or unit in Warri Federal Constituency at all — by virtue of the December 2nd judgment delivered by the Supreme Court.”
The Supreme Court had ruled that INEC should carry out a fresh delineation of wards in the Warri Federal Constituency to address claims of imbalance and underrepresentation. The commission began consultations in February 2023, completed fieldwork in July 2024, and presented a draft report to stakeholders in Warri on April 4, 2025.
At the time, INEC’s National Commissioner for Information and Voter Education, Sam Olumekun, clarified in a statement that no final decision had been taken. “Contrary to the speculations making the rounds, the commission is yet to take a final decision on the delineation of wards in the Warri Federal Constituency. We urge representatives of the various stakeholders to submit their observations on the draft report, which will serve as the basis for further engagement on the matter,” the statement read.
With nationwide voter registration now underway — online since August 18 and physically since August 25 — the Urhobo and Ijaw protesters insisted that their communities were being sidelined.
Zuru assured them the full commission would deliberate on their petition. “We will get back to you,” he said.
