INEC Restores Warri Constituencies, Leaves Ward Dispute Unresolved

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has restored several previously suppressed constituencies in Delta State ahead of the 2027 general elections, but stakeholders in Warri Federal Constituency say the move does not resolve the core dispute surrounding electoral representation in the area.

The commission recently announced the restoration of constituencies in Delta, Benue, Jigawa and Kogi states following court judgments and directed political parties to conduct primaries between June 16 and June 25 in the affected constituencies.

In Delta State, the restored constituencies include 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 the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, said the restoration followed judicial directives ordering the commission to reinstate constituencies that had previously been suppressed.

However, leaders of the Ijaw and Urhobo ethnic nationalities in Warri Federal Constituency have argued that the restoration of constituencies is separate from the more contentious issue of ward delineation in Warri North, Warri South and Warri South-West Local Government Areas.

The stakeholders noted that the ward delineation exercise was carried out by INEC in compliance with a Supreme Court judgment aimed at addressing representation concerns within the federal constituency.

According to them, while the newly restored constituencies are generally accepted across the area, the unresolved issue remains the allocation and distribution of electoral wards among the various ethnic groups.

In an earlier open letter to INEC, representatives of the Indigenous Ijaw and Urhobo People of Warri Federal Constituency recalled that the commission had unveiled a final delineation report on May 20, creating 20 registration areas and electoral wards across the three local government areas.

The group also stated that INEC had indicated plans for additional state constituencies in Warri North and Warri South-West and recommended the creation of an additional federal constituency, subject to constitutional approval.

One of the signatories to the letter, Paul Bebenimibo, said stakeholders were not contesting the restoration of constituencies but were seeking clarity on the implementation of the ward delineation report.

"The issue is the ward arrangement. That is where the disagreement lies," he said.

According to him, INEC's final report allocated 13 wards to Ijaw communities and seven wards to Itsekiri communities in Warri South-West Local Government Area.

He added that in Warri North, the commission allocated 10 wards each to Ijaw and Itsekiri communities, an arrangement his group accepted despite believing that Ijaw communities have a larger population.

Bebenimibo maintained that stakeholders want INEC to implement the delineation structure contained in its final report without alterations.

"We are saying INEC should not tamper with what it released on May 20. INEC did its job thoroughly," he stated.

The controversy comes amid growing concern over the status of the delineation exercise and whether the commission intends to proceed with its implementation ahead of the 2027 elections.

Although community leaders recently appealed for calm following engagements with President Bola Tinubu, uncertainty remains over the next steps INEC will take regarding the ward structure.

Attempts by journalists to obtain clarification from the electoral commission on the implementation timeline for the delineation report have so far not yielded any official response.

Stakeholders say the commission's silence has fuelled speculation and concern within the constituency, where questions of representation have long been a source of political tension.

While the restoration of the affected constituencies removes one legal hurdle ahead of the 2027 elections, community leaders insist that the more critical issue remains the implementation of the ward delineation report, which they believe will ultimately determine whether the Supreme Court judgment has been fully complied with.

For now, the restoration of Warri North II and Warri South West II constituencies has been largely welcomed. However, stakeholders maintain that lasting resolution will depend on INEC's handling of the ward delineation exercise, which remains central to political representation and stability in Warri Federal Constituency.