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Delineating Wards in Warri: A Matter of Law, Not Ethnicity

Against its earlier stance, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for the conduct of primaries by political parties. The commission made the adjustments on Friday after a meeting with Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), an umbrella body for the 18 registered political parties in Nigeria. The deadline has been postponed till June 9, an extension by six days from June 3 it earlier fixed for the activities. Before the latest development, the IPAC had requested for an extension of the deadline by at least 37 days more, a move the INEC on at least three different fora opposed. “I hereby reiterate the position of the Commission that there will be no review of the timelines. There are so many inter-related activities that are associated with the timelines which must be carried out. “Any review to extend the timeline for one activity will affect other activities and put unnecessary pressure on political parties and the Commission. This will ultimately result in more complications than what the extension seeks to achieve. Therefore, the Commission will not review the timelines,” the INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, reiterated two weeks ago. However, bowing to pressure from the party, Mr Yakubu, in a statement released on Friday night, said an extension of the date would not hurt its schedule of activities. As explained by the chairman, the newly approved six-day extension will afford the parties to conclude outstanding primaries and prepare the list of candidates and upload their affidavits on the commission’s portal. He said the extension covers political parties who have not conducted their primaries. “However, based on the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Election, the parties have now pleaded with the Commission to use the 6 days between 4th and 9th June 2022 to conclude outstanding primaries and prepare to upload the list of candidates and their affidavits on the INEC Candidates Nomination Portal. The Commission did not schedule any specific activity during this period. The idea is to simply give parties time to compile the list and personal particulars of their nominated candidates before uploading the same to the INEC Candidates Nomination Portal from 10th – 17th June 2022. “The Commission has decided to allow the request of the political parties since the six-day period does not conflict with the next scheduled activity which is the submission of the list of nominated candidates or any of the subsequent timelines which remain sacrosanct. However, this request is granted in respect of outstanding primaries only without prejudice to those already concluded by political parties. The Commission will not monitor already concluded primaries,” Mr Yakubu explained. He noted some political parties’ reluctance to submit their nominees for the training on the use of the INEC portal despite the commission’s provision to train four officials from each of the 18 political parties for the same purpose

By Jacob Abai 

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has once again demonstrated its commitment to transparency, consultation, and due process by presenting its draft report on the proposed ward delineation in the Warri Federal Constituency to all critical stakeholders. Though it is not even up to two weeks since the draft was officially distributed, a handful of individuals—driven more by emotion than evidence—have already begun to distort the process and mislead the public.

Let it be clear: INEC has not taken any final decision. What it has done is share the results of a long and detailed process of consultation, field visits, and stakeholder engagement—spanning from February 2023 to July 2024. The purpose of the draft report is for each concerned party to thoroughly review, analyze, and provide constructive feedback—not to incite tension or ethnic division.

Instead of engaging with facts, some have chosen to resort to tribal provocation, inflammatory rhetoric, and blind rejection of a process they were fully part of. These actions are not only irresponsible—they are shameful, dangerous, and regressive. They reflect a deep misunderstanding of procedure, governance, and civic engagement.

To those fanning the flames of discord: this is not the time for emotion or street drama. This is the time for constructive dialogue. Sit down, dig into the archives, present your data, defend your claims, and engage the draft with maturity. No amount of shouting or ethnic baiting will replace reasoned submission and civic engagement. The delineation exercise was participatory, and the draft is now before all parties. Use it.

Those who deliberately misread the process or twist it for political gain should take note: INEC is under no obligation to respond to tantrums. The Commission has done its part with professionalism, transparency, and inclusiveness. The onus is now on stakeholders to respond—not to disrupt. Refusing to understand a clearly written document only exposes ignorance, not patriotism.

Furthermore, any form of ethnic profiling, targeted incitement, or tribal scapegoating in this process must cease. Such conduct has no place in a democratic society. Hate-filled speech and divisive tactics are not only counterproductive—they threaten the fragile peace of the region. We therefore call on security agencies to remain vigilant, monitor all hotspots, and ensure that peace is not compromised by reckless individuals hiding behind ethnic sentiment.

To the people of Warri Federal Constituency: remain calm, stay informed, and engage responsibly. Let the process take its course through legal and institutional channels. Do not allow those who trade in confusion and chaos to hijack your voice. This is a time to build—not to burn.

And now to INEC:

This is not the time to flinch. This is not the time to blink in the face of sponsored blackmail and orchestrated noise. The Commission must understand the gravity of its responsibility and stand firm in the face of these distractions. The facts are clear. The process is sound. The world is watching. INEC must rise above intimidation and go on to implement its findings without fear or favour.

Any retreat in the face of intimidation will not only embolden the agents of chaos but will erode public confidence in democratic institutions. Nigeria cannot afford that. Warri cannot afford that. And history will not forgive that.

Let every stakeholder rise to this moment with maturity. Let INEC act with courage. Let the truth stand firm.

Because in the end, it is facts that build nations, not noise. It is justice that sustains peace, not appeasement.

In conclusion, the path forward is not paved with rage, but with reason—not with protests, but with perspective. All parties must return to the table armed not with tribal sentiment, but with facts, history, and maturity.

That is how we grow.
That is how we win.

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