Stakeholders in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State have applauded the restoration of the Ughelli South II State Constituency after 27 years of political exclusion, commending Senator Ede Dafinone and the member representing Ughelli South/Udu Federal Constituency, Hon. Francis Waive, for their roles in the process.
The Independent National Electoral Commission had recently restored Ughelli South II, alongside Abraka and Isoko North II constituencies in Delta State and Yagba West II in Kogi State, in compliance with relevant court judgments.
INEC has fixed September 19, 2026, for elections into the restored constituencies, while political parties are expected to conduct primaries between August 21 and 25.
The restoration has been widely described as a correction of a long-standing political imbalance that denied communities within Ughelli South II direct representation in the Delta State House of Assembly since 1999.
Speaking on the development, the Coordinator of the Niger Delta Peace Coalition, Mr. Zik Gbemre, praised Senator Dafinone for what he described as his commitment to the struggle for the constituency’s restoration.
According to him, the lawmaker provided critical support towards advancing the cause.
“Ughelli South has Senator Ede Dafinone to thank for championing the cause with connection and financial support before anyone else,” Gbemre stated.
Also reacting, a former Leader of the Ughelli South Legislative Arm, Chief Sunny Apah, acknowledged the contributions of several stakeholders, including Chief John Oguma, Hon. Francis Waive and the Chairman of Ughelli South Local Government Area, Dr. Lucky Avweromre.
Apah said the collective efforts of political leaders, community stakeholders and concerned citizens were instrumental in securing the restoration of the constituency.
An All Progressives Congress chieftain, Olorogun Adelabu Bodjor, described the development as a major relief for the people of Ughelli South, noting that it had addressed what many considered an anomaly in the state’s political representation structure.
He expressed confidence that the forthcoming election would produce quality representation for the people.
“It is good and a huge relief to the people of Ughelli South in general. The anomaly has been corrected, and we hope the election will produce vibrant representatives who will effectively serve the people,” he said.
The member representing Ughelli South State Constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. Festus Utuama, also welcomed the restoration, saying it would improve representation and legislative service delivery.
“The restoration of our Second Constituency is indeed welcome news to our people. A burden previously carried by one representative will now be shared by two and there can be no better relief than this,” Utuama said.
With the restoration, Utuama is expected to represent Ughelli South I, while residents of the newly restored Ughelli South II Constituency will elect their own representative during the September 19 poll.
As political parties intensify preparations for the election, stakeholders say the significance of the development extends beyond electoral contests, describing it as the return of democratic representation to communities that had been without a distinct constituency in the State Assembly for nearly three decades.
Many residents and political leaders have therefore continued to commend Senator Dafinone, Hon. Waive and other stakeholders for their contributions to achieving what they described as a long-awaited victory for the people of Ughelli South.
