While INEC has restored suppressed constituencies ahead of the 2027 elections, stakeholders in Warri say the real dispute lies in electoral ward allocation, as the commission remains silent on the implementation of its controversial delineation report.
Leaders of the Ijaw and Urhobo ethnic nationalities in Delta State’s Warri Federal Constituency say the restoration of previously suppressed state constituencies by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) does not address the core dispute fueling tensions over electoral representation in the oil-rich area.
On Thursday, INEC announced the restoration of several constituencies in Benue, Delta, Jigawa and Kogi states following court judgements. The commission also fixed 16 June to 25 June for political parties to conduct primaries in the restored constituencies ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In Delta State, the restored constituencies are Aniocha North II, Ika North East II, Sapele II, Ethiope West II, Warri South West II and Warri North II.
INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, said the restoration followed judicial orders directing the commission to reinstate previously suppressed constituencies.
However, leaders of the Ijaw and Urhobo communities in Warri Federal Constituency say the newly restored constituencies are separate from the contentious ward delineation exercise that followed a Supreme Court judgement on electoral representation in Warri North, Warri South and Warri South-West local government areas.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that in an open letter to INEC, signed by Okumagba Olorogun, Paul Bebenimibo, Joel Bislaa, Ako Samuel, Akpodibakaye Arthur, John Eramuor and Alaowe Denbola, the group recalled that the commission had earlier announced the creation of 20 registration areas or electoral wards across the three local government areas.
According to the group, the Indigenous Ijaw and Urhobo People of Warri Federal Constituency in Delta State, INEC had also assured the creation of two additional state constituencies for Warri North and Warri South-West, and recommended the creation of an additional federal constituency, subject to constitutional approval.
The group said the commission assured stakeholders that political parties would be directed to conduct primaries in the newly created constituencies in time for the 2027 elections.
It noted that while stakeholders welcomed the additional constituencies, implementation of the delineation report had yet to commence more than three weeks after INEC unveiled its final report.
“We note that the deadline for submission of candidates by political parties is fast approaching,” the group said.
Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday, one of the signatories to the group statement, Paul Bebenimibo, said the dispute in Warri was never primarily about state constituencies but about the distribution of electoral wards among ethnic groups within the federal constituency.
“No one is talking about those constituencies because INEC had promised they would conduct elections for those two state constituencies — Warri North and Warri South-West,” he said.
“The issue is the ward arrangement. That is where the problem lies.”
Mr Bebenimibo said disagreements stem from competing claims over population figures and representation among the Ijaw and Itsekiri ethnic nationalities.
According to him, under INEC’s final delineation report released on 20 May, the Ijaw communities received 13 wards while the Itsekiri received seven in Warri South-West.
In Warri North, he said, 10 wards were allocated to Ijaw and Itsekiri communities each, an arrangement his group accepted despite believing Ijaw communities have a larger population.
“But the Itsekiri are proposing that they should have 12 while the Ijaws should have eight. That is the bone of contention,” he said.
He added that all parties accept the creation of the additional state constituencies.
“We are saying INEC should not tamper with what it released on 20 May. INEC did its job thoroughly,” he said.
Mr Bebenimibo argued that the Supreme Court judgement was intended to address longstanding grievances over representation and that the commission had complied by conducting a fresh delineation exercise across the three local government areas.
The renewed debate comes despite recent efforts to calm tensions in the area.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that on Thursday night, leaders of the Ijaw and Urhobo ethnic nationalities called on protesters occupying oil and gas facilities and blocking waterways in Warri Federal Constituency to withdraw following a meeting with President Bola Tinubu.
However, uncertainty persists over whether INEC is proceeding with the implementation of the ward delineation report or whether INEC will stop with only restoring state constituencies.
PREMIUM TIMES sent a detailed media enquiry to Mr Haruna seeking clarification on the status of the delineation exercise.
Among other questions, the newspaper asked whether INEC had received any communication from the Presidency or other arms of government concerning implementation of the report, whether the process had been suspended or delayed, and what safeguards existed to ensure compliance with the Supreme Court judgement and the commission’s constitutional independence.
Mr Haruna did not respond to calls and messages seeking comment.
PREMIUM TIMES subsequently contacted Dayo Oketola, spokesperson to the INEC chairman, who referred enquiries to the commission’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi.
When contacted on Wednesday, Ms Eta-Messi said she would forward the questions to the appropriate department and revert with a response.
When PREMIUM TIMES followed up on Friday afternoon, she said she had shared the enquiry with INEC’s operations department. She assured the newspaper that she would seek an immediate response.
