Fears Rise in Niger Delta as Protesters Threaten to Shut Down Oil Facilities Over INEC’s Delay on Implementation of Warri Delineation Report

By Joseph Bienbo, Warri

Aggrieved Ijaw and Urhobo protesters have warned the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC that it will be held liable for any unrest or disruption to oil and gas activities in the Niger Delta if the commission does not urgently implement its final report on the Supreme Court-ordered fresh delineation of Warri Federal Constituency.

The warning came on Tuesday during a demonstration at INEC’s Delta State office in Asaba. The groups said nearly two weeks have passed since INEC, represented by National Commissioner Alhaji Abdulrazaq Tukur Yusuf for Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, presented the report to stakeholders on May 20, 2026. The report created new registration areas/wards in Warri North, Warri South and Warri South-West LGAs, and added two state constituencies for Warri North and Warri South-West, but implementation is yet to begin.

The protesters accused the Presidency of instructing INEC to suspend action, arguing that Section 161 of the 1999 Constitution guarantees the commission’s independence. They cited the Supreme Court ruling in SC/413/2016: Hon. George U. Timinimi & Ors v. INEC, stressing that Section 287(2) of the Constitution requires all government bodies to obey Supreme Court judgments without delay. “It is wrong for INEC to abandon its constitutional independence for the Presidency or any individual,” they said.

With the 2027 election timetable approaching, the groups said political parties must be ordered to conduct primaries for the new state constituencies. They pointed to the Ijaw people of Egbema Kingdom in Warri North LGA, who secured a state constituency after “more than a century of political marginalization,” and said they are ready to vote. The protesters also warned the international community that oil operations by Chevron Nigeria Ltd, Shell Offshore SNEPCo and Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited face risks. They reminded the government that the 1997-2003 crisis over relocation of Warri’s LGA headquarters escalated into the wider Niger Delta conflict.

The statement, issued on behalf of the Ijaw and Urhobo people of Warri Federal Constituency, concluded that INEC must only conduct elections in the area based on the approved final delineation. The groups urged the commission to act quickly to avoid what they described as a preventable conflict in the region.