Tompolo Calls for Calm as Women, Youths Occupy Oil Installations Over INEC Ward Delineation

High Chief Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, has joined Governor Sheriff Oborevwori in calling for calm as protests over incomplete ward delineation escalate in Delta State.

In a personally signed statement released on Tuesday, Tompolo appealed for a peaceful resolution after women and youths began occupying oil and gas installations in the Escravos and Warri river areas on Monday, June 8.

“Since yesterday the 8th of June 2026, we're all living witnesses to the mass action by peaceful women and youths from our various communities occupying oil and gas installations in the Escravos and Warri river areas,” the statement read.

Tompolo urged all sides to avoid violence, saying the Ijaw nation has historically been peaceful and shouldn't deviate from that tradition.

He called for an immediate meeting of community leaders to find a way forward and demanded that INEC do the right thing to restore peace in Warri and its environs.

“We call on the people of Warri (whether Ijaw, Itsekiri or Urhobo) to be calm and wait patiently for INEC to do the right thing,” the statement added.

The protests stem from INEC's failure to complete the delineation of wards in the Warri Federal Constituency. Ward delineation is the process of defining electoral boundaries within a constituency to ensure proper representation.

Without completed delineation, voters in affected areas can't participate in elections for the Warri Federal Constituency seat, effectively disenfranchising them.

Tompolo is a former militant leader who took amnesty in 2009 after leading the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND). He has since become a key figure in the region, often mediating disputes.

Governor Oborevwori had earlier called for calm, and Tompolo's statement reinforces that position. Both men are urging INEC to act swiftly.

The occupation of oil facilities threatens oil production in a region already grappling with crude theft and pipeline vandalism. Any prolonged disruption could affect Nigeria's oil output and revenue.

“I join all well meaning Nigerians to call for a peaceful resolution. The Ijaw nation has from time immemorial been known for their peaceful ways and we can't deviate from our history.”

Tompolo warned against anyone hijacking the protests for violence. He stressed that the mass action must remain peaceful and that community leaders should meet immediately to chart a way forward.

INEC hasn't yet issued a statement on the delineation issue or the protests. The commission is under pressure to resolve the matter before the next election cycle.

The Warri Federal Constituency includes diverse ethnic groups — Ijaw, Itsekiri, and Urhobo. Tompolo's appeal to all three groups signals the potential for ethnic tension if the issue isn't handled carefully.