The Indigenous Ijaw and Urhobo people of Warri Federal Constituency in Delta State have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately implement the final report on the fresh delineation of electoral wards and polling units in the constituency, alleging that the process has been stalled by external interference.
In an open letter addressed to the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), dated June 8, 2026, the groups expressed concern over what they described as an unexplained delay in enforcing the outcome of the Supreme Court judgment that ordered a fresh delineation of electoral wards and polling units across Warri South, Warri North and Warri South-West Local Government Areas.
The groups recalled that the Supreme Court, in its December 2, 2022 judgment in Hon. George U. Timinimi and nine others v. INEC, directed the electoral commission to conduct a fresh delineation of electoral wards and polling units in the Warri Federal Constituency for future elections.
According to the letter, INEC subsequently engaged stakeholders in February 2023 and pledged to implement the judgment ahead of the 2027 general elections. Fieldwork for the exercise was conducted in July 2024, while a draft report was presented to stakeholders in April 2025 for comments and observations.
The groups noted that on May 20, 2026, INEC unveiled its final report on the delineation exercise at a stakeholders’ meeting in Asaba, where National Commissioner Abdulrazaq Tukur Yusuf reportedly described the report as the commission’s final decision for immediate implementation.
They said the report created 20 registration areas and electoral wards across the three local government areas and introduced two additional state constituencies for Warri North and Warri South-West councils to enhance representation. The report also reportedly recommended the creation of an additional federal constituency, subject to constitutional approval.
According to the letter, INEC had indicated that political parties would be directed to conduct primaries for candidates seeking election into the newly created constituencies ahead of the 2027 polls.
The Ijaw and Urhobo groups, however, lamented that more than 20 days after the presentation of the report, implementation had yet to commence.
“We have it on good authority that INEC’s failure to immediately implement the report is as a result of external interference by the Presidency,” the groups alleged, claiming that the decision to suspend implementation may be connected to President Bola Tinubu’s marital ties to the Itsekiri ethnic nationality.
The groups accused the electoral commission of compromising its constitutional independence and warned that failure to implement the report could threaten peace and stability in the Warri Federal Constituency.
They argued that Section 160 of the 1999 Constitution guarantees INEC’s independence and shields it from presidential control in the discharge of its statutory responsibilities.
The letter further maintained that the commission was constitutionally bound under Section 287 of the Constitution to enforce the Supreme Court judgment without delay.
“It is an aberration for INEC’s performance of its constitutional and statutory duties to be subjected to the control and direction of the Presidency,” the groups stated.
They also cited a recent judgment of the Federal High Court in Warri, which they said reaffirmed that the delineation of electoral wards and polling units falls exclusively within INEC’s powers and does not require the approval of any other authority.
The groups urged INEC to immediately implement the final delineation report without alteration, direct political parties to conduct primaries in the newly created state constituencies, and ensure that all future electoral activities in the Warri Federal Constituency are based on the new ward and polling unit structure.
They warned that continued delay could heighten tensions in the area and urged the commission’s leadership to uphold the rule of law and respect the Supreme Court’s decision.
