Ijaw Communities in Delta Accuse INEC’s Officials of ‘Compromise’ in Wards Delineation, Threaten Oil Facilities Shutdown

Some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) have incurred the wrath of Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom Oil Producing Communities in Delta State following their role in the controversial ward delineation exercise in the Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State.

Although the names of the officials were not given, Ogbe-Ijoh leaders alleged that some powerful persons in INEC allegedly compromising the Supreme Court ordered electoral wards delineation in council area.

Addressing a press conference on Tuesday in Tekedor/Kusimi Community, also known as Egwa 11 Community, Warri Southwest local government area, the people stated that, despite having the highest population and landmass in the area, INEC’s interim report released on April 4th, 2025, allocated only two electoral wards out of 19 to them, while Gbaramatu Kingdom got nine and Itsekiri Communities were allocated five.

According to Ogbe-Ijoh people, out of the 19 electoral Wards proposed for the Council, only two was allocated to Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom whereas Ogbe-Ijoh kingdom accounts for about 40 percent of Warri south-west’s population and localities, with 116 settlements out of 290 recorded by the National Population Commission (NPC) in 2023.

The communities in the press statement signed by Dcn. Clement Tekedor, Chief Samson Oyimi, Emmanuel Kusimi and Hon. Johnbull Aniyanghan, on Wednesday, claimed that INEC’s allocation is contrary to the Electoral Act 2022 and the commission’s guidelines, which state that population, geographical compactness, and contiguity should form the basis of the fresh delineation.

They maintained that during the field work, INEC officials visited 130 communities/localities and identified 251 points for creation of polling units in Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom.

“INEC in its Guidelines/Criteria for the fresh delineation released on the 21st of March, 2024 before the field work, stated that, population, geographical compactness and contiguity shall form the basis of the fresh delineation in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022”, they argued.

The oil producing communities which play host to the Ajuju/Batan oil field, Egwa 11 oil field and flowstation, Odidi 1 and 11 oilfields, Ikremo manifold, Ugbanabubou field, and flowstations in OML 30, OML 42 and PPL 213, claimed that elements in INEC who allegedly carried out the ‘act of injustice against Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom’, are now frustrating efforts at addressing the vex issues.

While saying that they have separately written to INEC to address the gross and monumental injustice, they challenged INEC’s claims that Gbaramatu Kingdom is five times populated and bigger than Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom and that the Itsekiri Communities in Warri South West LGA are three times bigger and populated than Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom.

They contended that no record has shows that Gbaramatu Kingdom is five times bigger than Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom, nor any record anywhere to the effect that, the Itsekiri Communities in Warri South West are three times more populated and bigger than Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom.

According to them, available records by the National Population Commission shows that, Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom is more populated with actual localities/communities than all other Kingdoms and ethnic groups in Warri South West LGA.

They questioned how INEC arrived at the decision to allocate only two Registration Areas/Electoral Wards to Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom and “at the same time allocated nine and five Registration Areas/Electoral Wards to Gbaramatu Kingdom and Itsekiri Communities respectively, that are not populated than Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom”.

They alleged, “The process of addressing complaints arising from the field work is still being controlled by same persons in INEC who carried out the injustice in the first place against Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom and have again made recommendations that are worse than the earlier interim report that was released on April 4, 2025.

“We are aware that, these powerful officers of INEC are working with some political stakeholders in Warri South West Local Government Area. The purpose is to politically decimate and dominate the Ogbe-Ijoh people. We reject this act of wickedness and we shall use every means at our disposal to fight for justice. The Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom and its oil producing Communities WILL NOT and WILL NEVER accept this injustice.

While saying that they will not and will never accept the alleged act of “wickedness and injustice ” against the Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom, the people called on the Chairman of INEC to address the perceived injustice and allocate eight electoral wards to their kingdom, in line with their population and landmass.

They threatened to shut down oil and gas facilities in their communities if the injustice is not addressed, saying “we shall be forced to take our destiny into our hands and cannot guarantee the further flow of oil and gas from our communities, if the injustice against us is not addressed. We will shut down oil and gas facilities in our communities, if this grave injustice against us is not addressed by INEC.”