Delta oil facility shut down over INEC propoposed ward delineation
A major oil production facility in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State has been forced to shut down after protesters took to the site to express outrage over a proposed ward delineation plan by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The facility, which produces an estimated 28,000 barrels of crude oil per day, was formerly operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and is now under the control of Renaissance Africa Energy Holdings. The protest, which began peacefully on Monday, has drawn in men, women, and youth from surrounding communities, all demanding the immediate withdrawal of the newly proposed electoral ward boundaries.
Chanting slogans and carrying placards with phrases like “Stop the Ethnic Cleansing” and “Respect Historical Communities,” demonstrators accused INEC of undermining the Itsekiri ethnic group and failing to reflect the region’s complex ethnic composition — which includes the Itsekiri, Urhobo, Ijaw, and others — in its delineation exercise.
INEC’s proposal, unveiled last Friday, follows a recent Supreme Court judgment authorizing the commission to redraw ward and polling unit boundaries in the Warri federal constituency. The delineation is meant to improve electoral management and ensure equitable representation, but many locals argue it has instead deepened divisions.
Amorighoye Mene, Secretary of the influential Itsekiri Leaders of Thought, criticized the process as lacking transparency and inclusivity. “We expected INEC to consider the voting strength and historical claims of all ethnic groups,” he said. “The Itsekiri were sidelined — we were not even given a fair hearing before this proposal was released.”
Mene warned that legal action against INEC is being considered and suggested that protests could soon escalate beyond Warri South-West to other critical oil and gas installations across Itsekiri land — a move that could have severe consequences for Nigeria’s already vulnerable oil output.
