Indigenous Ijaw and Urhobo communities in Warri say INEC is ignoring a Supreme Court order on electoral boundaries. They're warning there won't be any election in the constituency come 2027.
The groups made the claim at a press conference in Effurun on Wednesday. Chief Victor Okumagba and High Chief Godspower Gbenekama represented the Okere-Urhobo and Gbaramatu Kingdoms.
Back in 2016, Nigeria's Supreme Court ruled that INEC must redraw electoral ward lines in Warri. The court found serious problems, including fake wards and uneven voter distribution across the area.
INEC completed the redrawing work and showed a draft to stakeholders in Asaba last April. But the commission hasn't released or finalized the report a year later, the groups said.
"Instead of releasing it, INEC has started new voter registration without following the court order," they stated. Moving forward with voter registration on the old ward structure violates the judgment, they argued.
According to the communities, any election held under this flawed system could be legally invalid. The delineation process must be completed before elections can proceed fairly, they insisted.
Historical tensions between Ijaw, Urhobo, and Itsekiri communities date back decades. Ward boundary disputes in 1999 fueled conflicts that still affect the region today.
INEC's own 1998-1999 report acknowledged past mistakes in how wards were drawn up. Yet those errors appear to have never been properly corrected, the groups noted.
Delays in releasing the report suggest possible outside pressure or institutional failure, community leaders alleged. Such foot-dragging erodes public confidence in democratic institutions, they warned.
The Ijaw and Urhobo people fear they'll be shut out of the 2027 elections. If boundaries aren't fixed now, their representation could be severely compromised, they said.
They're calling on INEC to publish and enforce the delineation report without further delay. The federal government must also step in to ensure the Supreme Court order is obeyed.
Civil society groups and international observers should monitor the situation closely, they added. Failure to act risks reigniting the old conflicts that plagued the constituency.
The communities emphasized urgency in resolving this matter before tensions escalate again. Peaceful, credible elections depend on getting the boundaries right first, they concluded.
INEC had not issued any formal response to the allegations by deadline. The commission's silence has only deepened concerns among local stakeholders about its intentions.
