The electoral commission says it has completed its work and awaits a harmonised position from stakeholders following tensions in Warri Federal Constituency.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it is ready to implement the controversial ward delineation in Delta State’s Warri Federal Constituency once ongoing negotiations and compromises among affected communities are concluded.
The commission also dismissed suggestions that the Presidency influenced its delayed implementation of the ward delineation report, insisting its decisions were based solely on its constitutional mandate.
Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES on Friday evening, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, said the commission completed the delineation exercise and awaits only the right conditions to proceed with implementation.
“There is no influence from the Presidency on Warri Ward delineation. Of course, we don’t receive instructions from the Presidency,” Mr Haruna said.
“We have done our delineation. It is just to implement. But we are concerned about insecurity. If there are threats to our staff, we can’t go there.”
PREMIUM TIMES had reported that a group known as the Indigenous Ijaw and Urhobo People of Warri Federal Constituency in Delta State accused President Bola Tinubu of interfering in the ward delineation exercise due to his marital ties with the Itsekiri.
Mr Haruna’s comments come days after heightened tensions over the delineation exercise triggered protests, shutdowns of oil facilities and interventions by prominent Niger Delta leaders, including Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that representatives of the Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo ethnic nationalities met with Mr Tinubu in Abuja on Thursday night and subsequently announced an end to protests over the matter.
Asked whether INEC officials had been directly threatened, Mr Haruna said the commission’s concerns stemmed from the security atmosphere created by recent demonstrations and disruptions in the area.
“What about all these closing of flow stations? Not a direct threat to our staff. If there are such demonstrations, the atmosphere clearly is not right for us to go and do our own job,” he said.
“It is like elections. If there is no secure environment, we can’t conduct elections.”
The delineation exercise was carried out following a Supreme Court judgement directing INEC to redefine electoral wards in Warri North, Warri South and Warri South West local government areas.
The commission’s field report, presented in May, reportedly proposed 13 wards for Ijaw communities and seven for Itsekiri communities, a recommendation that sparked fierce opposition from sections of the Itsekiri ethnic nationality.
Although INEC has completed its technical work, Mr Haruna indicated that implementation would depend on the outcome of ongoing stakeholder engagements.
“There seems to be some negotiations and concessions. Until those ones are finalised,” he said.
“We have done our own, we had given it to them, and they seemed to have agreed, but after a while, there was some protest from one side. Obviously, things have to be harmonised before we can go ahead.”
Asked whether the commission could implement a formula different from its original findings if stakeholders reached a compromise, Mr Haruna said the final outcome would depend on the agreement reached by the affected communities.
The comments indicate that, while INEC’s delineation report remains the basis of the exercise, the commission is open to implementing an arrangement emerging from stakeholder consensus.
Mr Haruna also clarified that INEC’s recent restoration of some state constituencies across parts of the country, including in Warri Federal Constituency, has no bearing on the Warri ward delineation dispute.
“No. It doesn’t. State constituencies do not affect federal constituencies. There is no disagreement over the state constituencies,” he said.
The clarification comes amid public discussions over whether the restoration of previously suppressed state constituencies in some states could alter the political calculations surrounding the Warri dispute.
When informed that community leaders had announced, following a meeting with the Presidency, that protests would cease, Mr Haruna welcomed the development, saying it could pave the way for implementation.
“Well, I am not aware. I am just hearing that. I am just hearing that for the first time,” he said.
“If they say there is no more protest, that is good news. It means we will be able to go ahead with the work.”
However, he said no timeline had yet been fixed for implementation.
“I wouldn’t know. We are on break. The commission has to sit and deliberate over this latest development before we know what steps to be taken.”
In a separate response on Friday evening to PREMIUM TIMES, INEC Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, provided details of the commission’s efforts to implement the Supreme Court judgement that necessitated the exercise.
She said the commission was acting pursuant to a Supreme Court judgement delivered in December 2022, directing it to undertake a fresh delineation of wards and polling units in Warri Federal Constituency.
According to her, implementation could not proceed before the 2023 general elections due to time constraints.
She explained that INEC commenced stakeholder engagements after the general elections and had since held six meetings with representatives of the affected communities
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