The Fiyewei of the ancient Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, High Chief Godspower Gbenekama (JP), has declared that democracy in Nigeria is at risk if the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN), can allegedly "take calls and stop legal processes that have been ordered by the Supreme Court".

Gbenekama's statement is in reaction to allegation of interference by the Presidency on the implementation of the INEC's final report on the Supreme Court ordered fresh delineation of wards in the Warri Federal Constituency made up of Warri South, Warri South-West, and Warri North local government areas of Delta State.

The Fiyewei, speaking on behalf of other Ijaw and Urhobo leaders on Monday, June 1, 2026, at a protest organised to demand for the immediate implementation of the final INEC report ahead of the 2027 general elections, said the Commission, on the release of the final report on May 20, 2026, had promised its immediate implementation, but after more than 10 days that action has not been taken. 

"We have in good authority that INEC’s failure to immediately implement the report of the fresh delineation as promised, is as a result of external interference by the Presidency which ordered that the implementation of the final report be put on hold," he alleged.

Speaking further he said, "The Chairman of INEC is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, a practicing Senior Advocate of Nigeria, and he is supposed to be an upholder of the judgement of the Supreme Court. But we are losing faith in his chairmanship as INEC's Chairman.

"As a Professor of Law, younger men were supposed to take a cue and learn from the present INEC chairman. If today, in this small Warri Federal Constituency, the INEC's Chairman can take calls and stop legal processes that have been ordered by the Supreme Court, then general elections, and whichever election that is going to be conducted under the present chairmanship is at risk. Democracy is actually at risk.

"And so, the young man should know that we will wait for one or two days and petition him to the Legal Practitioner's Disciplinary Committee to see if what he is doing is right," he threatened.

Gbenekama therefore charged Prof. Amupitan to do the right thing by implementing the final report as an independent body backed by Section 161 and Section 287 (2) of the 1999 Constitution.

"I then advise that, as a Professor of Law, he should do the right thing, and retire, and keep his name intact," he counseled.

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