By Henry Umoru
ABUJA- SENATORS have clashed over debate on a motion concerning the delineation exercise embarked upon by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Warri Federal Constituency, Delta State and the need for urgent intervention to prevent imminent political crisis.
The Senate yesterday resolved to investigate the ongoing delineation exercise conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Warri Federal Constituency, Delta State following concerns of alleged marginalization and irregularities raised in a petition before the upper chamber.
The Senate subsequently mandated its Committees on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters as well as the Committee on Electoral matters, INEC, Special Duties and Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions to carry out a holistic investigation into the matter and report back within four weeks.
The resolution was sequel to a motion titled ‘Urgent Need for Intervention to Prevent Imminent Political Crisis Over the INEC Delineation Exercise in Warri Federal Constituency, Delta State’. It was sponsored by Senator Simon Lalong, APC, Plateau South and co- sponsored by Co. Sponsor: Senator Sadiq Suleiman, APC, Kwara North.
In his presentation Senator Lalong said that the motion was informed by a petition from the Itsekiri ethnic nationality, forwarded to the Senate committee on electoral matters, alleging unjust treatment and marginalization of the Itsekiri people in the recent INEC ward delineation exercise.
According to him, the petitioners claimed that while two communities, Gbaramatu and Oporoza which previously had one ward each, were increased to eight out of the nineteen wards created in Warri South-West Local Government Area, while the Itsekiri community which earlier had six wards, was reduced to five. The development he stated has triggered tension and accusations of bias.
According to him, the petitioners further alleged that the INEC report of April 4, 2025 did not accurately reflect the realities on the ground across the three local government areas that make up Warri Federal Constituency. He noted that the report had also drawn objections from sections of the Ijaw community of Ogbe-Ijo and some Urhobo groups, who cited inconsistencies and errors in the delineation exercise.
He underscored that INEC’s constitutional mandate, as outlined in the 1999 Constitution (as amended), focuses on ensuring credible elections and does not extend to engaging in ethnic profiling or altering local demographic balances.
The petitioners also claimed that some of the geographical coordinates used in INEC’s delineation mapped communities outside Delta State, allegedly placing them within Edo and Ondo States, prompting the Ijaw groups to describe the entire process as fraudulent.
Clash between Lalong and Senator Joel Onowakpo-Thomas, APC, Delta South reared its head when the latter objected to the discussion, arguing that the matter was already before a court and therefore subjudice. He maintained that the Senate should not deliberate on an issue pending judicial determination.
In his response, Senator Lalong retorted that the motion stemmed from a referral from the Villa, sparking a heated exchange between both lawmakers.
At this point, the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Jibrin Barau, APC, Kano North who presided intervened and concurred that the matter could be subjudice, proposing that it should be referred to relevant committees for careful examination.
Earlier in his presentation, Senator Lalong had said that the Senate: “Notes from a petition emanating from the Itsekiri Ethnic Nationality, forwarded to the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, the allegation, bordering on unjust treatment and marginalisation of the Itsekiri Community in the recent delineation of wards exercise, undertaken by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State;
“Also notes that in the alleged delineation exercise, two Communities (Gbaramatu and Oporoza), which hitherto had one Ward each, have been increased to Eight (8) Wards out of the Nineteen (19) created in Warri South-West, however, the Itsekiri Community, which had Six (6) Wards previously, had been reduced to Five (5) Wards in the same Local Government Area, a situation, which has raised a fundamental question and deep apprehension, regarding the high level of injustice and unfair treatment as alleged by the petitioners;
“Further notes from the petitioners that the INEC report of 4th April, 2025, does not accurately reflect the realities on ground in the Three (3) Local Government Areas within Warri Federal Constituency, as captured by the INEC field officers, and this has stimulated myriad of reactions even from the Ijaw Community of Ogbe-Ijoh and some Urhobo groups who have raised concern over the malevolent discrepancies occasioned by the exercise;
“Aware that the mandate of INEC, as enshrined in the Third Schedule Part I, F to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended, is primarily geared towards facilitating the conduct of smooth, efficient and credible elections across the country, as such, its roles are administrative and operational within the context of elections and not ethnic profiling of the various local government demography, boundary adjustments for local and state governments, as alleged by the petitioners;
£Notes from the record allegedly made available by the petitioners, the coordinates that INEC used in the proposed units, wards and structures that constitute the Warri Federal Constituency, were such that substantial number of the communities are not within the geographical confines of Delta State, as the coordinates allegedly show that some of the communities are in Edo and Ondo States. This situation prompted the Ijaws of Ogbe-Ijoh to register their protests, which were earlier published in two national dailies, describing the entire exercise as fraudulent;
“Also notes from the petitioners’ allegation that procedural irregularities, statutory breaches, and non-compliance with judicial directives were perpetrated by INEC. They also alleged that INEC refused to obey the interlocutory injection, ordered by the court, restraining it from proceeding with the 12 number wards and structure in Warri South Local Government in 1997 and the substantive judgment, which was awarded in favour of the Itsekiris against INEC in 2003;
“Further notes as alleged by the petitioners that the delineation of Warri Federal Constituency is completely at variance with the spirit and intent of the subsisting judgment of the Supreme Court, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended and the guidelines and manuals of INEC on its mandate with regards to fresh delineation of wards/registration areas and polling units in the Warri Federal Constituency, and this, the petitioners said, questions the neutrality and the independent posture of INEC in the aforementioned exercise; and
“Recalls that due to the non-resolution of the imbalance created by the failure of INEC to obey the said Court judgment, conflicts erupted between the Ijaws, Itsekiris and the Urhobos between 1997 – 1999 and 2002 2003, respectively, hence the need for the Senate to, as a matter of urgency, intervene in order to avert imminent political crisis and to ensure that all anomalies are addressed before the 2027 general elections.”
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