The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it's ready to implement the ward delineation in Delta State's Warri Federal Constituency — but it's waiting for the fighting among communities to stop first.
INEC National Commissioner Mohammed Haruna told PREMIUM TIMES on Friday evening that the commission has completed the technical work. The only thing holding it back is the security situation.
"We've done our delineation. It's just to implement. But we're concerned about insecurity. If there are threats to our staff, we can't go there," Haruna said.
The exercise follows a Supreme Court judgement ordering INEC to redefine electoral wards in Warri North, Warri South and Warri South West local government areas. The commission's field report from May proposed 13 wards for Ijaw communities and seven for Itsekiri communities. That recommendation sparked fierce opposition from some Itsekiri groups.
Haruna dismissed claims that President Bola Tinubu's administration influenced the delay because of his marital ties to the Itsekiri. "There's no influence from the Presidency on Warri Ward delineation. Of course, we don't receive instructions from the Presidency," he said.
Tensions have been high in recent weeks. Protests broke out, and some oil flow stations were shut down. Prominent Niger Delta leaders, including Government Ekpemupolo — better known as Tompolo — stepped in to mediate. On Thursday night, representatives of the Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo ethnic nationalities met with President Tinubu in Abuja. After that meeting, they announced an end to the protests.
Haruna said the commission's concern wasn't about direct threats to its staff but the wider atmosphere. "What about all these closing of flow stations? Not a direct threat to our staff. If there are such demonstrations, the atmosphere clearly isn't right for us to go and do our own job," he said. "It's like elections. If there's no secure environment, we can't conduct elections."
INEC isn't closing the door on a compromise. Haruna said the commission's report is the basis, but if stakeholders reach a different agreement, INEC could implement that instead. "There seems to be some negotiations and concessions. Until those ones are finalised," he said. "We've done our own, we'd given it to them, and they seemed to have agreed, but after a while, there was some protest from one side. Obviously, things have to be harmonised before we can go ahead."
Haruna also clarified that INEC's recent restoration of state constituencies in parts of the country, including Warri, has nothing to do with the ward delineation dispute. "State constituencies don't affect federal constituencies. There's no disagreement over the state constituencies," he said.
When told that community leaders had announced an end to protests after meeting the Presidency, Haruna welcomed the news. "If they say there's no more protest, that's good news. It means we'll be able to go ahead with the work," he said. But he added that no timeline has been set. The commission is currently on break and must deliberate on the latest development before deciding the next steps.
INEC Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, also confirmed the commission's commitment to implementing the Supreme Court judgement.
The Warri ward delineation has been a flashpoint for ethnic tensions in the oil-rich region. The Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo communities have long contested political representation and resource control in the area. The new ward boundaries will determine how votes are counted in future elections, making the stakes high for all sides.