By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu
The Itsekiri ethnic nationality in Delta State has strongly rejected the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) proposed ward delineation in Warri Federal Constituency, describing it as fraudulent, unjust, and a calculated attempt to politically and economically marginalize their people in their ancestral homeland.
In a press statement dated July 21, 2025, and signed by representatives Emiko Oghomienor, Ofoyeju Izuagie, Appearance Afejuku, Samuel Meyiwa Khalil, Ejeh Wilson, and David Mamah, the Itsekiri leaders accused INEC of manipulating ward allocations in Warri South, Warri North, and Warri South-West local government areas to their detriment.
“We reject the proposal recommended by INEC in Warri South, Warri North, and Warri South-West,” the statement reads. “We also reject the purported and biased committee report by Dr. Baba Bila, Commissioner Ken, and Professor Rhoda Gumus.”
The group urged the National Security Adviser (NSA) to direct INEC to disband the current committee and set up a new, independent one to re-examine the field data, warning that those previously involved cannot be “judges in their own cause.”
Citing glaring irregularities, the statement noted that Ijaw-dominated areas in Warri North and Warri South-West saw their wards increased from four to fourteen and from four to ten, respectively, while the Itsekiri areas were reduced from six to five in Warri South-West and from six to eight in Warri North.
“This is an attempt to politically exterminate the Itsekiri people from their ancestral homeland,” the leaders declared. “We will resist this injustice at all cost.”
They further condemned the allocation of three wards to a group in Warri South that, according to them, “has no single community” in the area, while the Urhobo community’s wards increased from two to nine. The Itsekiri, who they said have eight legally recognized wards in the area, were left unchanged.
“We wish to state categorically without any form of ambiguity that any review that does not address the manifest injustice and disproportionate distribution of wards… will not be accepted,” they said.
The group threatened that if INEC refuses to correct the anomalies and uphold the true findings of its field officers, they would be forced to shut down the operations of all International Oil Companies (IOCs) and indigenous oil and gas firms in Itsekiri territory.
“We reiterate boldly that we have no option but to shut down completely the operations of all IOCs in our areas if INEC fails to comply with the true picture of what is on the ground,” the statement warned.
They concluded by rejecting any attempt to pacify them with “Greek gifts” such as additional polling units or wards, insisting instead on a full and just review of the proposed delineation to reflect the true field data.
“Our collective destiny and God-given rights cannot be shortchanged nor mortgaged under any subterfuge whatsoever,” they declared.