Ijaw, Urhobo Protesters Raise Alarm Over INEC Delay in Implementing Supreme Court-Ordered Warri Constituency Delineation

Ijaw, Urhobo Protesters Raise Alarm Over INEC Delay in Implementing Supreme Court-Ordered Warri Constituency Delineation

THREAT TO RULE OF LAW And DEMOCRACY IN WARRI FEDERAL

CONSTITUENGY OF DELTA STATE'

STATEMENT ISSUED BY IJAW AND URHOBO PROTESTERS ON

MONDAY THE 1ST DAY OF JUNE. 2026 TO ALERT NIGERIANS AND

THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY ON THREAT TO THE RULE OF

LAW AND DEMOCARCY AS A RESULT OF INECS DELAY IN THE

IMPLEMENTATION OF ITS FINAL REPORT ON THE SUPREME COURT

ORDERED FRESH DELINEATION OF WARRI FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY OF DELTA STATE.

Protocols

1. Gentlemen of the Press would recall that on the 20th day of May, 2026. INEC released its final report of the Supreme Court ordered fresh

delineation of Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State to

stakeholders at Asaba, Delta State.

2. At that presentation of the final report, INEC National Commissioner., Alhaji Abdulrazaq Tukur Yusuf who represented the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN stated that the presentation was the decision of the Commission on the fresh delineation for immediate

implementation.

3. Specifically, the Commission representative stated that a total of

Twenty (20) Registration Areas/Electoral Wards have been created for all the three local government areas, that is Warri North. Warri South and Warri South West LOcal Government Area.

4 Furthermore that, the Comisson created two additional state

Warri South-West Local

constituencies for Warri North

and Government Areas of Delta State to ensure more representation by the people of Warri Federal Constituency 

5. The INEC National Commissioner stated further that, in the light of the foregoing and considering the limited time constraint imposed by the INEC timetable for the conduct of the 2027 elections, the Commission

would immediately direct political parties to conduct primaries for the

nomination of candidates to contest in the 2027 elections in the newly created state constituencies in Warri North and Warri South West Local Government Areas.

6. However, the ljaw and Urhobo people of Warri Federal Constituency are shocked that ten days after INEC presented its final report, the implementation of the report has not started as promised by INEC.

7. We note that the deadline for conduct and submission of list of

Candidates of political parties to contest the 2027 general elections is fast approaching.

8. We have in 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.

PRESIDENTIAL INTERFERENCE IN INEC'S STATUTORY DUTIES

IS THREAT TO RULE OF LAW AND DEMOCRACY

9. We the ljaw and Urhobo people of Warri condemn in the strongest

terms the interference of the Presidency in the implementation of the Supreme Court ordered fresh delineation of warri Federal

Constituency of Delta State by INEC.

10. The interference by the Presidency is an attack on the 1999

Constitution of the Federal Republc of Nigeria which the President took

oath to observe and protect.

11. By section 161 of the 1999 Constitution, INEC is independent in the performance of its duties and the Presidency has no power whatsoever to direct INEC. The 1999 Constitution clearly state that INEC shall not be subjected to the direction and control of the President.

12.Furthermore, by section 287 (2) of the 1999 Constitution, the judgment of the Supreme Court is final and all organs and agencies of

government have a constitutional duty to implement orders of the

Supreme court without delay or hesitation. In this case, the Supreme Court gave a final decision in SCI413/2016: HON. GEORGE U.TIMINIMI & ORS V. INEC and therefore, the Presidency has no constitutional powers to stop its implementation.

13.We wish to alert the Nigerian people and the international community that, the interference by the Presidency in the implementation of the Judgment of the Supreme Court is an attack on the rule of law and democracy in the Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State in particular and Nigeria in general. According to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, while addressing representatives of the lnter-Party Advisory Council at the Aso Rock Villa on the 12n day of March, 2026: democracy is about the rule of law and that the rule of law must prevail in any democracy", We insist that the rule of law must prevail in the Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State.

14. The threat to national security being alleged by the office of the

National Security Adviser (NSA) to stop the immediate implementation

of the fresh delineation is only a subterfuge by the Presidency to alter the final report of the delineation to favour the ltsekiri ethnic group. If anybody or group is threatening he peace of VWarri as a result of the implementation of the supreme court Judgment, the office of the NSA should go after such a person and not to disrespect the Supreme Court

15. The ljaws and Urhobos of Warri are similar situation as in by the Awolowo government of orders.

1952 when ethnic consideration

3 faced with a western region changed the title of the Itsekiri monarch from Olu of Itsekiri to Olu of Warri without considering the fact that Warri is a multi- ethnic administrative creation by the colonial government for the indigenous people of ljaw, Urhobo and ltsekiri.

16. In the present delineation, enough concessions have been made in favour of the Itsekiri ethnic group by increasing their Registration Areas/Electoral Wards from 4 (four) and 8 (eight) to 7 (seven) and 10 (ten) respectively in Warri South West and Warri North LGAs respectively, despite the fact that their population does not justify the increment.

17.In compliance with the dictates of the rule of law, we call on INEC to

direct political parties to conduct primaries to nominate candidates for the newly created state constituencies in Warri North and Warri South West LGAs. The ljaw people of Egbema Kingdom in Warri North LGA who the new state Constituency was created tor after more than a century of political oppression and suppression are eager to elect political party candidates to participate in the 2027 general elections into the Delta State House of Assembly. If the Itsekiris are not ready to

participate in the election of persons into the new state constituency in Warri South West, the ljaws are ready and should be allowed to participate in the election based on the newly created constituencies and fresh delineation of registration areas and polling units in compliance with the judgement of the Supreme Court.

18. We state in conclusion that, INEC having concluded its delineation, must only conduct any subsequent electoral activity in the Warri Federal Constituency based on the result of the final delineation

presented without any alteration.

19. The final report of the delineation submitted to 4 stakeholders on the 20th day of May, 2026 must not be altered in: any form. It would be recalled that, relocation of a local government headquarters from an ljaw Community to an Itsekiri community led to the unfortunate warri crisis of 1997 to 2003. Hence, we must enough for the wise!

must avoid a repeat of the past. A word is DATED THIS 1ST DAY OF IUN 2026 IN WARRI, DELTA STATE

AND SIGNED FOR AND ON BEHALE OF THE IJAW AND URHOBO

PEOPLE OF WARRI FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY OF DELTA STATE