FG allow INEC work – Ijaws, Urhobos protest alleged interference in Warri fed constituency

Indigenous Ijaw and Urhobo residents of the Warri Federal Constituency staged a peaceful protest to demand the implementation of the Supreme Court‑ordered redrawing of the constituency by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The demonstrators also condemned what they say is interference by the Presidency in the process.

At a rally led by Ijaw and Urhobo leaders in the Ogbe‑Ijoh market in Warri South, protestors carried placards that listed their demands. They called on the federal government to “allow INEC to do its work, keep the DSS away from the Warri Federal Constituency delineation, First Lady, you are biased, INEC respect the rule of law.”

They also urged INEC to “implement the approved State Constituencies/RAS you presented to us on 20th May 2026 in Asaba, No allocation of Wards and Units.”

The list of demands was read aloud by the spokesperson for the Ijaw and Urhobo group, High Chief Godspower Gbenekama, Spokesman of Gbaramatu Kingdom.

The protestors said the alleged presidential interference violates the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which the president swore to observe and protect.

“By Section 161 of the 1999 Constitution, INEC is independent in the performance of its duties and the Presidency has no power whatsoever to direct INEC. The 1999 Constitution clearly states that INEC shall not be subject to the direction and control of the President.”

“By Section 287(2) of the 1999 Constitution, the judgment of the Supreme Court is final, and all organs and agencies of government have a constitutional duty to implement orders of the Supreme Court without delay or hesitation. In this case, the Supreme Court gave a final decision in SC/413/2016: Hon. George U. Timinimi & Ors V. INEC and therefore, the Presidency has no constitutional powers to stop its implementation.”

“We wish to alert the Nigerian people and the International Community that the interference by the Presidency in the implementation of the judgment of the Supreme Court is an attack on the rule of law and democracy in the Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State in particular and Nigeria in general.”

The protestors insisted that the rule of law must prevail, saying, “The threat to national security alleged by the office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, to stop the immediate implementation of the fresh delineation is only a subterfuge by the Presidency to alter the final report of the delineation to favour the Itsekiri ethnic group.”

They warned that, “If anybody or group is threatening the peace of Warri as a result of the implementation of the Supreme Court judgment, the Office of the NSA should go after such a person and not disrespect the Supreme Court orders.”

The Ijaws and Urhobos of Warri called on INEC to comply with the dictates of the rule of law and to direct political parties to conduct primaries to nominate candidates for the newly created State Constituencies in Warri North and Warri South‑West Local Government Areas.

“The Ijaw people of Egbema Kingdom in Warri North LGA, for whom the new State Constituency was created after more than a century of political oppression and suppression, are eager to elect political party candidates to participate in the 2027 general elections into the Delta State House of Assembly.”

“If the Itsekiris are not ready to participate in the election of persons into the new State Constituency in Warri South‑West, the Ijaws are ready and should be allowed to participate in the election based on the newly created constituencies and fresh delineation of registration areas and polling units in compliance with the judgment of the Supreme Court.”