In a strongly worded press briefing held today, leaders and representatives of the oil-producing communities of Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom in Warri South West Local Government Area have raised the alarm over what they describe as deliberate manipulation and injustice in the ongoing fresh delineation of Registration Areas and Electoral Wards by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The communities, which host strategic oil assets including Ajuju/Batan, Odidi I & II, Egwa II oil fields and flow stations, as well as Ikeremor manifold and Ugbanabubou oil field, alleged that three National Commissioners of INEC have hijacked the delineation process and are working to suppress the political voice and representation of Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom. Addressing journalists, community leaders recalled that on July 7, 2025, they had earlier drawn attention to the “gross injustice” in the proposed allocation of only two (2) out of nineteen (19) Registration Areas to Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom, despite what they claim is verifiable evidence from National Population Commission (NPC) data and INEC’s own field reports showing Ogbe-Ijoh accounts for over 40% of the population and landmass of Warri South West LGA. Despite their earlier appeals, the communities say the trio of National Commissioners—whose identities were not disclosed—continue to act with impunity, disregarding both population data and fieldwork conducted by INEC operatives in July 2024. According to the briefing, these commissioners have not visited the field themselves but are imposing ward allocations that favour less populous ethnic groups, some of which have been allegedly awarded as many as nine and five electoral wards respectively. “These officials are deliberately frustrating all legitimate efforts to address the glaring imbalance. They have ignored the facts, bullied INEC staff who were involved in the field work, and even introduced fictitious communities to inflate figures in favour of others,” the statement reads. The Ogbe-Ijoh delegation further claimed that several INEC workers with accurate field knowledge have faced threats of dismissal, reassignment, and other forms of intimidation from the commissioners, who they accuse of executing a private agenda that undermines the constitutional integrity of INEC. The group reminded the public that the Supreme Court had previously ordered a fresh delineation exercise in Warri Federal Constituency, citing the lack of credible population data and unequal representation in the previous arrangement. Ironically, the current process, according to them, is “even worse than what existed before the court ruling.” The statement continued: “It is shocking and disheartening that public officials sworn to uphold transparency and fairness are the same ones now compromising the credibility of INEC. Their actions are not only discriminatory but are also capable of destabilizing a fragile region that is vital to Nigeria’s oil economy.” In a final appeal, the Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom Oil Producing Communities issued three major demands: Immediate removal of the three National Commissioners from any further involvement in the delineation exercise for Warri South West LGA. Full reliance on the NPC population data, settlement records, and INEC’s actual field reports—rather than arbitrary figures—for the ongoing delineation. A shift of the review process away from the current group of commissioners, to ensure a neutral, law-abiding outcome in line with the Electoral Act and INEC guidelines. The communities also called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Security Adviser to intervene promptly, warning that failure to address their concerns may lead to disruption of oil and gas activities in the area. “We are peaceful people, but our patience is running out. If this injustice is not addressed, we may be left with no other option than to shut down the oil facilities in our communities,” they concluded. The press briefing was signed by Deacon Clement Tekedor, Chief Samson Oyimi, Emmanuel Kusimi, and Hon. Johnbull Aniyanghan, speaking on behalf of the Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom Oil Producing Communities.