A group of leaders from Warri federal constituency staged a protest at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday. The demonstration was sparked by the commission’s delay in implementing a Supreme Court-ordered delineation of electoral wards and polling units in the Warri Federal Constituency.

The protesters, representing Warri North, Warri South, and Warri South West Local Government Areas, carried placards with messages such as “CVR today is a political fraud in Warri Federal Constituency” and “INEC give us the final report.” They also displayed a large banner showing the map of Ijaws and Itsekiri communities in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State.

The demonstrators are demanding that INEC immediately release the final report of the Supreme Court-ordered delineation of electoral registration areas, wards, and polling units in the Warri federal constituency. They argue that the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise is not being conducted in accordance with the recently concluded delineation, and therefore, they want it to be stopped.

The protest was a response to INEC’s failure to implement the Supreme Court’s judgment, which was delivered on December 2, 2022. The community leaders submitted a petition to INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, warning that the ongoing voter registration in the area without legitimate electoral structures violated their constitutional rights and the Supreme Court judgment.

The petition, signed by 16 representatives, criticized the ongoing voter registration in the constituency without proper electoral structures in place. The leaders expressed frustration over the undue delays in finalizing the process and stated that they would not allow any institutions or external influences to undermine their inalienable rights.

The group vowed to continue occupying the INEC premises until their fundamental human rights to vote and be voted for are restored. They are seeking a clear direction and information on how to participate in the ongoing CVR exercise. The protest highlights the need for INEC to address the concerns of the Warri federal constituency leaders and ensure that the electoral process is conducted in a fair and transparent manner.