By Jose Oby 
WARRI, Delta State – The Itsekiri Ethnic Nationality has vehemently rejected the proposed fresh delineation of electoral wards and polling units in the Warri Federal Constituency by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), labelling the exercise as unconstitutional and a gross administrative overreach.
The rejection was announced during a press conference held on Tuesday, where representatives of the Itsekiri people presented a detailed critique of INEC’s field work, which was ordered by the Supreme Court in a December 2022 judgment.
Supreme Court Order vs. INEC’s Execution
The press statement clarified that the Supreme Court’s order in suit SC/143/2016 merely compelled INEC to conduct a fresh delineation of wards and polling units in Warri South, Warri South-West, and Warri North Local Government Areas, as the last exercise was conducted over a decade ago, in line with constitutional provisions.
The Itsekiri leadership argued that the Supreme Court never declared the existing wards and voter register “fake and fictitious,” contrary to claims they attribute to Ijaw and Urhobo groups in the constituency. They stated that INEC’s mandate is strictly administrative and operational, limited to using its existing voter register to delineate new polling units.
“INEC’s constitutional mandate… did not extend to or include (a) The creation, recognition, or alteration of communities or local Government Areas; (b) Conduct of population census; (c) Ethnic profiling… and (d) As a court of law to determine which ethnic groups owns where,” the document read.
Allegations of Ultra Vires Actions and Geopolitical Anomalies
The group accused INEC of exceeding its powers by allegedly compiling lists of communities and determining territory ownership during its field work, actions they deem ultra vires (beyond its legal power).
They presented findings from a Geographic Information System (GIS) survey, which they claim reveals serious flaws in INEC’s proposed units:
· Warri South-West LGA: 510 of 1,287 proposed Polling Units (PUs) are located outside the LGA, with one unit (PU289 Turufagbene) allegedly falling in Edo State.
· Warri North LGA: 6 PUs are outside the LGA, and 99 are outside Delta State, falling into Ondo and Edo States. Some units were reportedly placed in uninhabitable areas like rivers and swamps.
· Warri South LGA: Specific units like PU4, PU5, and PU16 were cited as not being within the LGA boundaries.
Response to Ijaw and Urhobo Claims
The Itsekiri representatives also countered claims made by Ijaw and Urhobo groups that they are politically marginalized. They listed high-ranking political officials from these groups currently holding office, including a former Deputy Governor of Delta State, the current Speaker of the State House of Assembly, and Local Government Chairmen.
They challenged these groups to show similar political representation for Itsekiris domiciled in predominantly Ijaw or Urhobo LGAs like Burutu, Ethiope West, and Sapele.
Call for Investigation and Stance on Voter Registration
The Itsekiri nationality called on the Federal Government to investigate and prosecute any INEC official who “compromised the integrity of the exercise.”
On the issue of Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), they condemned threats by other groups to shut down oil facilities and boycott the process, describing CVR as an exclusive constitutional right of every Nigerian citizen aged 18 and above. They urged INEC to proceed with the registration without succumbing to threats.
The group concluded by stating that their objections have been formally submitted to the National Security Adviser and INEC, and they expect the commission to make an “equitable, fair, just, and most of all, LAWFUL decision.”
The ongoing delineation process remains a flashpoint in the complex ethnic politics of the oil-rich Delta region.