INEC fixes date for primaries in new Delta constituencies

By Jimitota Onoyume

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has fixed June 16 to June 25, 2026, for political parties to conduct primaries in the newly created constituencies in Delta State, ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The constituencies are Warri South-West II, Warri North II, Aniocha North II, Ika North-East II, Sapele II and Ethiope West II.

INEC disclosed this in a statement issued by its National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna.

According to the commission, the primaries are intended to facilitate the participation of the restored constituencies in the 2027 general elections, particularly with regard to the nomination of candidates by political parties.

“To facilitate the participation of the restored constituencies in the 2027 General Election, particularly with respect to the nomination of candidates by political parties, the Commission has fixed June 16-25, 2026, for the conduct of political party primaries in the restored constituencies,” Haruna stated.

He added that all other timelines and activities contained in the already published revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general election would remain applicable to the affected constituencies.

“For the avoidance of doubt, all other timelines and activities contained in the already published revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 General Election shall apply to the restored constituencies,” he said.

Meanwhile, an Itsekiri group has sustained its opposition to the ward delineation exercise in the Warri Federal Constituency, insisting that the report recently released by INEC was based on inaccurate data.

President of the Concerned Delta Forum for Accountability, CODAFA, Mr. Diden Diden, urged the Federal Government to intervene and ensure that the alleged anomalies in the report are corrected.

Diden said while the group was not opposed to the implementation of the Supreme Court judgment that necessitated the delineation exercise, it believed that the new proposal failed to address longstanding concerns raised by the Itsekiri people.

According to him, INEC carried out the exercise pursuant to the Supreme Court judgment in Hon. George Timinimi & Ors v. INEC (SC.413/2016).

However, he alleged that the proposed delineation “perpetuates the same illegalities and fraudulent practices the Itsekiri Nation has consistently opposed.”

The controversy over the ward delineation exercise has continued to generate debate among stakeholders in the Warri Federal Constituency, with affected groups expressing divergent views on the outcome of the exercise.

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