By Ogude Samuel
The Ijaw and Urhobo ethnic nationalities in Warri Federal Constituency have commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for complying with the judgment of the Supreme Court by releasing the final report on the delineation of wards and polling units in the constituency ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The groups gave the commendation during a joint press briefing held on Thursday at KFT Event Centre in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State.
In a communiqué jointly signed by Olorogun Victor Okumagba, JP, Alaowei Denbo-Denbofa Owerkpodor, Dr. Paul Bebenimibo and Chief John Edger Etonvor on behalf of the two ethnic nationalities, the groups expressed appreciation to INEC for creating additional State House of Assembly constituencies for Warri North and Warri South-West Local Government Areas.
They also lauded the electoral body for directing political parties to commence primaries for the nomination of candidates to represent various parties in the newly created constituencies during the 2027 general elections.
According to the groups, INEC’s decision to create additional state constituencies and recommend the establishment of another federal constituency for Warri has significantly addressed longstanding political agitations and helped restore peace within the Warri Federal Constituency.
The communiqué stated that the prolonged controversy surrounding the delineation exercise was largely caused by inadequate political representation for the various ethnic nationalities in the area, which they said resulted in political marginalisation and exclusion from the electoral process.
“We also thank INEC for creating additional State House of Assembly constituencies for Warri North and Warri South-West Local Government Areas of Delta State and for directing political parties to immediately conduct primaries for the nomination of candidates to represent different political parties in the new constituencies during the 2027 general elections,” the statement read.
The groups further applauded INEC for recommending the creation of an additional Warri Federal Constituency II covering Warri North and Warri South-West Local Government Areas.
They noted that the creation of more polling units, electoral wards, state constituencies and the recommendation for an additional federal constituency in compliance with the Supreme Court judgment in Suit No. SC/413/2016 would promote inclusiveness and provide all ethnic groups in the area equal opportunities to participate in the political process. According to them, the delineation exercise has also enhanced recognition of the ethnic diversity within Warri Federal Constituency and strengthened democratic participation among the people.
The groups equally commended security agencies for maintaining peace and order throughout the period of the delineation exercise and pledged their readiness to fully participate in the 2027 general elections. They urged Ijaw and Urhobo communities to remain peaceful, law-abiding and supportive of all electoral processes leading to the polls.
The ward and polling unit delineation exercise in Warri Federal Constituency had generated intense debates and tensions among stakeholders in the area before the release of INEC’s final report.