Johnny urges INEC to stand by report on Ward delineation in Warri Federal Constituency

August 10, 2025 by Our Reporter

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State, High Chief Michael Johnny, has advised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) led by Professor Mahmood Yakubu, to stand firmly on its report on the concluded fresh ward delineation in Warri Federal Constituency, Delta State.

Johnny, gave the advice on Sunday in Warri, while reacting to comments made by an Itsekiri chief, Ayiri Emami.

Johnny, Agadiwei of Gbaramatu Kingdom, warned that the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) cannot be intimidated or blackmailed into tampering with the delineation field work reports already concluded in Warri Federal Constituency.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, National Security Adviser NSA and the Inspector General of Police, will never interfere or compel the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) to compromise its integrity and reputation as the Electoral Umpire was determined to stand by its reports on the fresh Ward delineation as presented to the Ijaw, Urhobo and Itsekiri stakeholders..

“ I want to believe that my friend, Ayiri Emami did not acknowledge the existing laws and constitution when he said INEC should have gone back to the Supreme Court, to do what exactly?

“ Commendably, as a law-abiding agency, the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, in full compliance to the Supreme Court judgement swung into action immediately.  The practical field work carried out by INEC was purely on areas, communities and population. And the outcome confirmed that Ijaws were majority in Warri Federal Constituency. Even the Itsekiri cannot dispute this fact”

“Contrary to the false claim by Ayiri Emami that INEC conducted the fresh Ward delineation in Warri Federal Constituency on projected census, there is nothing like “ Projected Census” in the Electoral Act or National Population Commission NPC. The Ayiri Emami’s allegations against INEC over allocation of Wards, was not true and entirely misleading, as INEC has no power to allocate Wards, rather INEC worked with facts and  the reality on ground.”

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According to Johnny: “ Ayiri Emami should know that it is not the fault of INEC that Itsekiri are minority in population. The  Ijaws we are majority because we marry more wives and produce more children”

He explained that the fresh Ward delineation is not in any way an existential challenge to our Itsekiri brothers and neighbours in Warri Federal Constituency as claimed or wrongly insinuated by Ayiri Emami. 

“ It is important to state that the Itsekiri have no local government created for them alone. The  Itsekiri shares Warri North Local Government with the Ijaws, the Itsekiri shares Warri South West with the Ijaws and likewise the Itsekiri shares Warri South with the Urhobo and Ijaw, which made up the Warri Federal Constituency. Therefore, in the Warri Federal Constituency, the House of Representatives and House of Assembly seats are not exclusively for only the Itsekiri as Ijaws and Urhobos were also entitled to the elective positions”

*Maybe I should also educate or remind my friend, Ayiri Emami that Federal Constituencies or State Constituencies were not created for ethnicity.

“ It just happened that Burutu, Bomadi and Patani were distinct Ijaw Federal Constituencies and State Constituencies. The Warri Federal Constituency and State House of Assembly seats are for the Ijaws, Urhobos and Itsekiri people in the Warri Federal Constituency. We must embrace the fact and move forward”

“ I urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, NSA, IGP and the leadership of  Independent National Electoral Commission INEC to ignore Ayiri Emami’s outburst and  allegations against the commission and its officials who conducted the Delineation field work”

The ex-chairman of Egbema Gbaramatu Communities Development Foundation insisted that the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC will not go back on the field work reports on fresh Ward Delineation; the exercise was thoroughly conducted.

“ Nobody should blackmail INEC, the  electoral umpire had done the needful and corrected the political anomaly in Warri Federal Constituency. INEC had successfully implemented the Supreme Court judgement on fresh Ward delineation in Warri Federal Constituency”

“ As rightly mentioned by Ayiri Emami that there will be no fight over the fresh Ward Delineation, the Ijaws and I, Chief Michael Johnny do not want to fight as well.But I can say that Itsekiri and Ijaws of Gbaramatu in Warri South West have a common enemy which is “ UNDERDEVELOPMENT”. This is what we should focus on to address and lay a solid foundation for peace and development for the future generations”

He further noted: “ The Gbaramatu man is not responsible for the underdevelopment in Itsekiri land, and the Itsekiri man is not responsible for the underdevelopment in Gbaramatu land. We must have this in mind. In conclusion, I urge my friend and brother, Ayiri Emami to leave INEC alone and allow the Commission to do their constitutional work unhindered on the fresh Ward delineation in Warri Federal Constituency.”

The Ijaw leader said the perceived intimidation and blackmailing of INEC must stop henceforth.