Warri Forum Urges Senate To Stand Firm On INEC Ward Probe

The Central Working Committee of the Warri Strategic Forum has urged the Senate to stand firm on its decision to probe the ward delineation exercise conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

The group’s Chairman, Professor Lucky Akaruese, and Secretary, Dr Patrick Fregene, in a statement, warned against attempts by some lawmakers to undermine the planned investigation, insisting such efforts should be disregarded in the interest of fairness and transparency.

They also urged Isoko leaders to re-examine the issue and evaluate its potential impact on peace and regional stability.

The statement reads: “The Central Working Committee of the Warri Strategic Forum met on Saturday, November 15, 2025, in Warri, in light of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to investigate the circumstances surrounding the massive protests by the Itsekiri and a section of the Ijaw ethnic groups in response to the reports of the ward delineation exercise carried out by the INEC. The report of the delineation exercise is alleged to have been devised to unjustly reverse Warri Federal Constituency, which has hitherto been dominated by the Itsekiri, in favor of the Ijaw and Urhobo peoples in that order. Furthermore, the report purportedly seeks to legitimize INEC’s non-compliance with the earlier Appeal Court judgment of 2003, which directed a revert from the erroneous 12 ward structures created in Warri South LGA in 1997 to the original 10 wards.

In addition to these concerns, the delineation report allegedly ventures into boundary adjustments by moving several communities from Edo and Ondo States, and from the Local Government Areas of Burutu, Uvwie, and Ughelli South, into the Itsekiri, Ijaw, and Urhobo enclaves of Warri Federal Constituency, thereby inflating the presence of these two migrant groups at the expense of the Itsekiri, who, through court pronouncements and history, are regarded as the indigenous inhabitants of the entire geopolitical space.

“The Warri Strategic Forum notes that the contemplated Senate investigation is noble, patriotic, and in consonance with its constitutional duties. We call on the Senate not to be deterred from its constitutional responsibilities in this matter, since it is vested with the power to investigate matters within its jurisdiction and to oversee the conduct of persons, authorities, ministries, or government departments charged with administering laws enacted by the National Assembly. The Senate should not shelve its constitutional responsibilities merely because two of its members have perceived interests or are seen as attempting to hinder the honorable effort.

“The Warri Strategic Forum also notes, with pain and regret, the actions of two lawmakers in the Warri Federal Constituency. On the floor of the House, they purportedly attempted to undermine and abort this patriotic motion aimed at achieving truth, fairness, equity, and justice so that the intended injustice against the Itsekiri by INEC can be thoroughly investigated. From our records, the Senator has long displayed disdain for the Itsekiri—his constituents—including his expressed commitments toward ensuring that the Itsekiri as a collective remain subdued within Delta State.

This is in spite of the Itsekiri voting massively for him in 2023 and standing by him to ensure his victory at the tribunal and in the Court of Appeal. In spite of our many acts of support and commitment to him, which he is aware of, his responses have often been marked by scorn and brazen contempt in various aspects; his recent action in the Senate against the Itsekiri is the most recent example. We shall never forget.

“The Itsekiri nation will formally report these developments and any related actions to the Isoko leadership, seeking their solidarity and counsel as fellow Senatorial District communities with shared concerns about fairness, equity, and the integrity of democratic processes in our Senatorial District. We invite Isoko leadership to review the matter, assess its implications for regional stability, and engage in constructive dialogue toward a peaceful and just resolution.”