ASABA/Nigeria: The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially unveiled the report on the Supreme Court-ordered delineation of wards and polling units in the Warri Federal Constituency, bringing to a close months of tension, agitation and debates that had surrounded the exercise across Delta State.
The report was presented during an emergency stakeholders’ meeting held in Asaba, attended by representatives of the Itsekiri, Ijaw and Urhobo ethnic nationalities as well as senior officials of the electoral commission.
Addressing stakeholders at the meeting, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Delta State, Mr. Etekamba Unoren, alongside a Supervising National Electoral Commissioner, formally presented the outcome of the delineation exercise carried out in compliance with the Supreme Court directive.
According to the report, Warri North Local Government Area was divided into two blocs, with Warri North I, predominantly inhabited by the Itsekiri ethnic nationality, allocated 10 wards, while Warri North II, largely occupied by Ijaw communities, was also assigned 10 wards.
In Warri South-West Local Government Area, the report allocated seven wards to Warri South-West II, identified as Itsekiri areas, while Warri South-West I, predominantly Ijaw communities, received 13 wards.
For Warri South Local Government Area, INEC created a total of 20 wards distributed among the three ethnic nationalities, with the Urhobo allocated nine wards, the Itsekiri eight wards and the Ijaw three wards.
The delineation report further indicated that the Urhobo and Ijaw ethnic groups would jointly occupy State Constituency I in Warri South, while the Itsekiri ethnic nationality would retain a separate state constituency.
INEC also disclosed proposals for the creation of additional federal constituencies for both the Ijaw and Itsekiri ethnic nationalities in Warri North and Warri South-West.
The commission, however, clarified that the proposed federal constituencies remain subject to constitutional amendment and approval by the National Assembly before implementation.
