Warri delineation: Tompolo urges restraint after protesters shut oil facilities

By Jude Opara

A prominent community leader in Warri South-West Local Government Area, Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo (AKA Tompolo), has appealed for calm amid rising tensions over the implementation of the Supreme Court judgment on the delineation of wards and polling units in the Warri Federal Constituency.
The appeal comes in the wake of the shutdown of 13 oil flow stations by protesting Ijaw women in Gbaramatu Kingdom, who are demanding action from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the contentious delineation exercise.
In a statement made available to journalists in Warri, Ekpemupolo warned against allowing the ongoing agitation to descend into violence or be exploited by individuals seeking to create unrest.
He stressed that the Ijaw people have historically been known for pursuing their grievances through peaceful means and should not abandon that tradition despite growing frustrations over the electoral dispute.
“The Ijaw nation has from time immemorial been known for its peaceful ways and cannot deviate from its history,” he said.
According to him, the current tension stems from what he described as INEC’s failure to conclude the delineation process in compliance with the Supreme Court’s directive, a development that has triggered protests and mass action across parts of the constituency.
While acknowledging the concerns of the affected communities, Ekpemupolo urged residents to remain peaceful and avoid actions that could worsen the situation.
“The current political situation arising from the failure of INEC to complete the delineation of wards in the Warri Federal Constituency and mass action must not be allowed to be hijacked or degenerate into violence of any sort,” he stated.
The community leader also called for an urgent meeting of stakeholders and traditional leaders to discuss the crisis and chart a common path toward resolving the impasse.
“I am calling for calm, no matter the situation. I am also calling for a meeting of community leaders to meet immediately to enable us to devise a way forward,” he added.
Ekpemupolo emphasized that lasting peace in the area would require cooperation among all ethnic groups and communities affected by the dispute.
He urged residents of Warri, including the Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo ethnic nationalities, to exercise patience while awaiting further action from the electoral commission.
“We must all join hands in seeking a peaceful resolution to this impasse. INEC must determine to do the right thing and restore the peace in Warri and environs,” he said.
The renewed appeal follows Monday’s protest by indigenous Ijaw women, who occupied and shut down oil flow stations in the Gbaramatu axis as part of efforts to pressure INEC to implement the Supreme Court ruling.
The protesters insisted they would remain at the facilities until the electoral commission fully complies with the judgment on the delineation of wards and polling units in the Warri Federal Constituency, a dispute that continues to generate political and ethnic tensions in Delta State.