“Release Warri Report Now or Kill Democracy” — Ijaw Group Blasts INEC
By Passman Akpos
A socio-political group, Operation Rescue Ijaw Nation Crusaders, has issued a stern warning to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), demanding the immediate release and implementation of the final fieldwork report on ward and polling unit delineation in the Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State.
In a strongly worded protest letter dated January 13, 2026, and addressed to the INEC Chairman in Abuja, the group accused the electoral body of delaying the full implementation of a binding Supreme Court judgment, a situation it says could disenfranchise millions of voters ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The group referenced the landmark Supreme Court ruling of December 2, 2022, in Hon. George Timinimi & Others v. INEC (SC.413/2016), which ordered INEC to conduct a fresh, lawful and constitutionally compliant delineation of wards and polling units in Warri North, Warri South and Warri South-West Local Government Areas. The court further ruled that no election or electoral activity should take place in the constituency until the delineation exercise is completed and implemented.
According to the group, while INEC carried out the fieldwork and produced a detailed report on April 4, 2025, the commission has yet to release and operationalize the final fieldwork report, a delay they describe as dangerous and unconstitutional.
“The decision of the Supreme Court is final, binding and enforceable under Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution,” the group stated, warning that any election, voter registration or electoral activity conducted in Warri Federal Constituency without full compliance would be “null, void and of no legal effect.”
Operation Rescue Ijaw Nation Crusaders cautioned that failure to act promptly could result in a complete exclusion of Warri Federal Constituency from the 2027 elections, creating what it described as a “representation vacuum” at the federal, state and local government levels.
The group also raised concerns over peace and security, warning that continued delays could trigger political instability in the oil-rich region. It stressed that the credibility of Nigeria’s democracy and the rights of the people of Warri to vote and be voted for now rest squarely on INEC’s actions.
As part of its demands, the group called on INEC to:Immediately release the final fieldwork report on the ward and polling unit delineation;Fully implement, gazette and operationalize the Supreme Court judgment before any further electoral activity; andSuspend and cancel Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) and all other electoral activities in Warri Federal Constituency until the delineation exercise is completed and certified.
The group also highlighted what it described as INEC’s own proposed ward configuration from the April 2025 fieldwork report, which it said reflects the demographic realities of the constituency. Under the proposal, Ijaw communities would have a majority of wards across the three local governments, a status the group insists must be respected to avoid marginalization and political crisis.
In its conclusion, the group warned that anything short of full compliance with the Supreme Court judgment would amount to “a betrayal of justice, an assault on democracy and a violation of the rule of law.”
The letter was signed by Comrade Awipi Lawson, Coordinator of Operation Rescue Ijaw Nation Crusaders, and copied to the Nigerian Senate, the House of Representatives and the National Security Adviser to the President.
As of the time of filing this report, INEC had not issued an official response to the protest.
