Oil producing communities in Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom, Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State, have accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of suppressing them in recent Warri delineation exercise.
In a press briefing on Sunday at Kusimi Community, the communities accused INEC of conniving with other kingdoms and ethnic nationalities in the Council to manipulate figures from its field operations in 2024.
In a statement signed by the quartet of Deacon Clement Tekedor, Chief Samson Oyimi, Emmanuel Kusimi, and Johnbull Aniyanghan, the communities particularly accused three INEC commissioners of frustrating their demand for fair treatment from the process.
WARRI DELINEATION: Ogbe-Ijoh Demands More Wards, Threatens Shutdown of Oil Facilities
In the statement addressed to President Bola Tinubu, National Security Adviser, and INEC Chairman, Yakubu Mahmood, the communities of threatened to shutdown oil installations if their demands are not attended to.
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It reads;
“We, the oil-producing communities of Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom hosting the Ajuju/Batan, Odidi I and Odidi II, Egwa II oil fields and flow stations, Ikeremor manifold and Ugbanabubou oil field in Warri South West Local Government Area, have again called you to this press briefing because of some disturbing developments relating to the injustice against Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom in the ongoing fresh delineation of Registration Areas/Electoral Wards in Warri South West LGA.
“You would recall that, on the 7th of July, 2025 — just a few days ago — we addressed a press conference where we called on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to address the gross injustice in the allocation of only two (2) Registration Areas/Electoral Wards out of nineteen (19) to Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom in the proposed allocation for Warri South West LGA. We also warned that if our concerns were not addressed, we would be compelled to shut down oil installations in our communities.
“However, despite our appeal, three National Commissioners of INEC — who have hijacked and are now coordinating the delineation process — remain determined to frustrate all efforts aimed at correcting this injustice against Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom.
“These National Commissioners, instead of relying on the publicly available National Population Commission (NPC) data of population, settlements, and the actual field work conducted by INEC officials in July 2024, are insisting on allocating Registration Areas/Electoral Wards indiscriminately. This is being done without reference to either the NPC data or the field report by INEC officers.
“It is these same National Commissioners — who did not visit the field and lack any firsthand knowledge of the population and geographic size of the various Kingdoms and Ethnic Groups in Warri South West LGA — that orchestrated the lopsided allocation of Registration Areas/Wards.
“In the proposal released on April 4, 2025, Kingdoms/Ethnic Groups with significantly smaller populations than Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom were allocated nine (9) and five (5) Wards respectively, while Ogbe-Ijoh received only two (2).
“Despite the outcry and evidence showing that Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom accounts for 40% of the population and landmass of Warri South West LGA — as per NPC records and the INEC field report — this cabal within INEC remains determined to perpetuate this injustice.
“These National Commissioners have gone further to frustrate and reject all proposals made by those with actual field knowledge, aimed at correcting the imbalance. They have used various tactics, including intimidation, threats of dismissal, punitive transfers, bullying, and manipulation of field reports.
“Moreover, they have allegedly added hundreds of fictitious communities in certain areas of Warri South West LGA — all in a desperate bid to suppress and marginalize Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom.
“Their manipulation of the delineation process must stop. It is important to recall that the Supreme Court ordered a fresh delineation in Warri Federal Constituency precisely because the previous delineation ignored actual population data and ground realities. Sadly, the current process — as being conducted by these INEC National Commissioners — is even worse than what existed before the court’s ruling.
“It is deeply troubling to the Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom Oil Producing Communities that public officers, who should be champions of integrity and accountability, are now acting in the interest of certain individuals — thereby undermining both the credibility of INEC and the Supreme Court-ordered delineation.
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“Consequently, we demand the following:
“We again call on the Chairman of INEC to save the Ogbe-Ijoh people from the oppression of these National Commissioners, who have hijacked the delineation of Warri Federal Constituency.
“They must remove their knees from the neck of the Ogbe-Ijoh people and allow us to breathe — by permitting the use of NPC population/settlement data and the actual field work conducted by INEC for the ongoing delineation in Warri South West LGA.
“We also call on the Chairman of INEC to take the responsibility of reviewing complaints arising from the interim report away from this cabal of National Commissioners. These Commissioners have clearly demonstrated that they are pursuing personal agendas, rather than adhering to the Electoral Act, INEC Guidelines, and established population and field data.
“Finally, we call on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, and the Office of the National Security Adviser to hold the INEC National Commissioners coordinating the fresh delineation in Warri Federal Constituency responsible for any imminent disruption to oil and gas activities in Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom, should this injustice continue unaddressed.”
