Tension in Delta: INEC Halts Warri Constituency Delineation Over Security Threats

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the suspension of all activities related to the delineation of electoral wards in the Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State.

INEC’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, confirmed the suspension on Saturday, noting that the issue has been escalated to the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA).

“This matter has been referred to the NSA. At this point, no further action can be taken,” Eta-Messi explained in a statement to the press.

She clarified, however, that the decision would not affect the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise in the constituency. According to her, the registration process is still ongoing, using existing polling units (PUs) and registration areas (RAs).

The suspension comes just weeks after members of the Urhobo and Ijaw communities staged a peaceful protest in Abuja. Protesters from Warri North, Warri South, and Warri South-West LGAs had demanded the immediate implementation of a 2022 Supreme Court judgment ordering fresh delineation of electoral wards in Warri.

During the protest, the communities submitted a petition to INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, warning that conducting voter registration without complying with the court’s directive amounted to a breach of constitutional rights.

“We can no longer sit idle while our democratic rights, guaranteed by the constitution and reaffirmed by the Supreme Court judgment, are being eroded. INEC must immediately release and implement the painstakingly prepared stakeholders’ report,” the petition read.

Background: Supreme Court Judgment of 2022
On December 2, 2022, the Supreme Court declared the existing ward delineation in Warri outdated and unrepresentative of the population. The court ordered INEC to carry out a comprehensive re-delineation exercise.

In response, INEC began consultations in early 2023, with fieldwork completed by July 2024. A draft report was later presented to stakeholders at a public forum in Warri on April 4, 2025.

INEC, however, clarified in an April 10 statement that the report was still under review and invited stakeholders to submit feedback.

Meanwhile, online voter registration kicked off on August 18, with physical registration beginning on August 25, even as communities continue to insist on full implementation of the Supreme Court ruling.