The indigenous Ijaw and Urhobo people of Warri federal constituency in Delta State have advised the Presidency to stay clear of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) statutory responsibility of the fresh delineation of electoral wards and polling units in the area as ordered by the Supreme Court.
They stated this in an open letter dated June 5, 2026 and addressed to President Bola Tinubu.
They insisted that the constitutional independence of INEC in the performance of its duties should be respected by all agencies and organs of the federal government in the interest of the rule of law and democracy.
According to the letter, the Supreme Court gave a judgment where it ordered INEC to conduct a fresh delineation of all that electoral wards/polling units for Warri South West, Warri North and Warri South Local Government Areas for the purpose of future elections.
“The Independent National Electoral Commission in reaction to the judgment met with stakeholders from the Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State on the 2nd day of February, 2023 at its Headquarters in Asaba, Delta State where it expressed its commitment to implement the judgment as a law-abiding agency of government in line with section 287 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
“…INEC through its National Commissioner Alhaji Abdulrazaq Tukur Yusuf promised that the Commission would direct political parties to immediately conduct primaries to nominate candidates for the newly created state constituencies considering the timetable for the conduct of political party primaries.
“The above decisions of INEC were greeted with wide jubilations by stakeholders all over the Warri Federal Constituency because they addressed to a very large extent the age-longed demands of the people.
“However, the jubilations were cut-short when information got to us that, the Presidency has ordered INEC to stop further implementation of its final report on the Supreme Court ordered fresh delineation of the Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State because of issues raised by the Itsekiri ethnic nationality, which is one out of the three ethnic nationalities indigenous to the Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State. We strongly believe that, this decision arose from your matrimonial ties to the Itsekiri ethnic nationality.
“Mr. President, we state without hesitation that, your directive to INEC to stop further implementation of the Supreme Court ordered delineation of the Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State is a direct attack and desecration of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) which you swore to defend and uphold.
“We the Indigenous Ijaw and Urhobo people of Warri make bold to state that, your actions in relation to the implementation of the Supreme Court ordered delineation of the Warri Federal constituency is a complete violation of your oath of office and Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
“We state that your directive to INEC undermines the sanctity of national institutions such as the Supreme Court of Nigeria and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“This is dangerous to the survival of our democracy and the rule of law. The rule of law in a democratic system of government requires that the finality of the decisions of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and the independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission should be respected by all persons and organs of government in the overall interest of Nigeria’s democracy, including your office as President and Commander-in-Chief,” the letter reads in parts.
The people stressed that it is a dangerous precedent for the president to stop INEC in the performance of its statutory responsibility to implement its delineation report in line with the judgment of the Supreme Court because of affiliation to an ethnic group that is interested in the final report.
“We state with all sense of humility that, your interference in the affairs of INEC in order for the report of the Supreme Court ordered fresh delineation to be favourable to the Itsekiri ethnic nationality and at the expense of the Ijaws and Urhobos of Warri because of your matrimonial relationship with Itsekiri is a violation of your oath of office and the Constitution of Nigeria.
“You ought to with due respect treat everybody equally and without favour in accordance with law. INEC has submitted its final report and its independence should be respected in the implementation of the final report,” the letter added.
