The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of contempt of court over its refusal to implement a Supreme Court order on the delineation of electoral wards in Warri federal constituency.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA’s national coordinator, said INEC’s actions amount to “a mockery of the rule of law and an assault on democracy”.
Onwubiko said the association fully aligns with the grievances raised by the Ijaw and Urhobo people who, at a world press conference, condemned what they described as illegal attempts to subvert the apex court’s judgement.
The Supreme Court had, on December 2, 2022, ordered INEC to conduct a fresh delineation of all wards and polling units in Warri South, Warri South-West, and Warri North local government areas.
The court held that the old structures were void and that the new delineation was the only legal framework for credible elections in the constituency.
HURIWA said it is “criminal, unconstitutional and contemptuous” for INEC to proceed with continuous voter registration (CVR) in Warri without first publishing the delineation report.
“Any voter registration or electoral process carried out in Warri without fresh delineation is null and void,” the group said.
HURIWA recalled that INEC had, in its 1999 post-election report, admitted to grave irregularities in the delineation process in Warri, noting that it was either not properly done or was fraudulently manipulated.
It said INEC’s current posture is deepening the historical wounds of marginalisation and injustice against the Ijaw and Urhobo peoples.
The association added that the indigenous communities have shown restraint by seeking judicial remedies rather than resorting to violence, but warned that INEC’s disregard of the court order risks provoking fresh tensions.
HURIWA said that despite convening meetings with stakeholders in 2023 and 2025 and producing a draft delineation report, INEC has failed to release the final version.
It described the electoral body’s conduct as “a deliberate conspiracy to disenfranchise indigenous groups and entrench electoral fraud”.
The group called on President Bola Tinubu, the National Assembly, and the judiciary to compel INEC to obey the judgement without further delay.
It also appealed to civil society organisations, religious leaders and the international community to rally behind the Ijaw and Urhobo peoples.
“The fight of the Ijaw and Urhobo people is not just local but a litmus test for Nigeria’s democracy.
“Obedience to court orders is the bedrock of democracy and justice, and anything less amounts to dictatorship and impunity under another name,” the group added.