Indigenous Ijaw and Urhobo leaders of Warri Federal Constituency have accepted President Bola Tinubu’s intervention in the ward delineation dispute that had paralyzed parts of Delta State, but issued an unambiguous warning that they would not tolerate any further alteration to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s May 20 delineation report under any circumstances and for any reason.
Speaking at a joint press conference in Warri, the leaders said their acceptance of the presidential intervention was given reluctantly and purely as a mark of respect for the president and in the interest of maintaining peace, rather than as an endorsement of the process that had led to alterations in the Registration Areas and Electoral Wards of Warri South West Local Government Area.
They said the Itsekiri community had continued to express dissatisfaction despite multiple interventions that had already tilted the delineation outcome in their favor, and called on INEC to resist any further pressure for amendments. They demanded that the commission upload the final May 20 report to its portal without further delay and immediately commence a special voter registration and transfer exercise to newly created registration areas and polling units across the Warri Federal Constituency.
The leaders delivered a pointed warning about the consequences of continued delay or any renewed attempt to reopen the delineation question, saying that any such development would constitute a betrayal of trust by the federal government and INEC and that they should not be held responsible for whatever followed. The statement reflected the depth of frustration that had driven women and youths from affected communities to occupy oil and gas facilities in the preceding days and underscored the fragility of the peace that the presidential intervention had produced.
