Hundreds of protesters are demanding that a disputed report on ward boundaries be put into action. They have shut down 13 oil flow stations in Delta State. This disruption is affecting major oil facilities and could threaten Nigeria’s daily crude production of 400,000 barrels, according to industry sources.
The protest started on Monday in communities within Warri Federal Constituency. There are worries about how this situation might impact Nigeria’s oil production targets, export commitments, and government revenues if the issue continues.
The facilities involved are run by Renaissance Africa Energy Company, Chevron Nigeria Limited, and Nestoil/Neconde.
Sources from the industry told PREMIUM TIMES that these 13 facilities are responsible for about 400,000 barrels of crude oil every day.
The flow stations that are affected include Odidi 1 and 2, Batan, Ogbanabou, Jones Creek, Otunana, Egwa 1 and 2, Abiteye, Makaraba, Olero Creek, Dibi Field, and Opuekeba.
The protesters, mainly women and youths from Gbaramatu, Ogbe-Ijoh, Isaba, Egbema, and Diebiri kingdoms in Warri South, Warri South-West, and Warri North local government areas, occupied the facilities. They stopped workers from accessing the sites.
Sources close to the operations said protesters also blocked the movement of supplies through waterways for the oil companies. This further disrupted production activities.
The protests are linked to rising tensions over the implementation of a ward delineation exercise done by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). This was in line with a Supreme Court judgement.
The protesters insist that oil production will not resume until INEC puts into effect the final delineation report that was presented to stakeholders in Asaba on May 20.
This protest comes just a day after PREMIUM TIMES reported that Ijaw and Urhobo groups in the area accused President Bola Tinubu of interfering in the delineation exercise.
Photos shared online showed demonstrators holding banners and placards with messages like “INEC: Implement Warri Delineation Report,” “Court Ordered Judgement on Wards and Polling Units Delineation,” and “No Implementation, No Production.”
Other signs read, “INEC implement the approved state constituencies and RAs you presented to us on May 20, 2026 in Asaba,” and “INEC if President Tinubu can halt the implementation of your already announced ward delineation in Warri, how can you deliver a credible 2027 election?”
Maria Ebike spoke for the protesters. She accused INEC of delaying the implementation of a process she said was already finished.
“We have waited patiently for the authorities to do the right thing. Since they continue to ignore our voices, we have no option but to demand justice through peaceful protests. No implementation of the ward delineation, no oil production,” she said.
Other community leaders agreed, saying the delineation exercise was complete and that implementation was the only pending issue.
The protesters believe this exercise is meant to fix long-standing concerns about political representation in the area. They also claim there are attempts to block its implementation.
This dispute dates back to a Supreme Court judgement in 2022 that called for a new delineation of electoral wards and polling units in Warri Federal Constituency.
After consultations and fieldwork, INEC conducted the exercise and presented its final report to stakeholders in Delta State on May 20.
However, the report has caused more tensions among Ijaw, Urhobo, and Itsekiri groups, each having a significant interest in this politically charged area.
Some Ijaw and Urhobo leaders have claimed that powerful interests from Itsekiri, where the President’s wife comes from, are trying to block the report’s implementation. PREMIUM TIMES could not verify this claim independently.
This disruption comes at a delicate time for Nigeria’s oil sector. The federal government aims to increase crude production by two million barrels per day by 2027 and boost foreign exchange earnings.
A long shutdown could harm national production levels and reduce government revenue from crude exports.
PREMIUM TIMES reached out to the Presidency for comments on the protesters’ claims and the potential economic impact of the shutdown.
A message sent to the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, had not received a response by the time of this report.
The newspaper also sought comments from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission about the affected facilities, expected production losses, and plans to get operations back on track.
The commission’s Head of Media and Corporate Communications, Eniola Akinkuotu, had not answered an email from PREMIUM TIMES.
As of Tuesday morning, neither the oil companies involved nor the regulator had made any public statements about the production losses caused by the shutdown.
The protesters say they will keep up their actions until the authorities take clear steps to implement the ward delineation report ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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