Warri Reclamation Thrust to INEC: Discard your delineation report, riddled with manipulations, distortions, illegalities

Pro-Itsekiri advocacy group, Warri Reclamation Thrust, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to discard the delineation report it released for Warri Federal Constituency few months ago, saying the report was riddled with manipulations, distortions and illegalities.

Fresh Angle International, understands that the group, which made the call Monday June 30, during a peaceful protest at INEC National headquarters in Abuja, described the report as a monumental fraud, “fraudulently altered geographical and political realities to the detriment of the Itsekiri people, the indigenous majority in the Warri Federal Constituency, in favour of the Ijaw and Urhobo ethnic groups, many of whom are said to be customary tenants in the area.”

The protesters led by Mrs. Tsaye Mene and Mr. Bright Omaghomi, during a presentation to the INEC Senior Commissioner, who received the petition in Abuja, unveiled a detailed analysis based on the coordinates provided by INEC.

Using Google Earth mapping technology, Warri Reclamation Thrust, plotted and examined the geospatial data, revealing shocking inconsistencies in the newly proposed electoral wards.

Below is detailed text of Warri Reclamation Thrust’s petition:

Allegations of Fraud and Misconduct

Warri Reclamation Thrust outlined several allegations against INEC, including:

1. Importation of Non-Delta Communities: INEC allegedly imported communities from Edo and Ondo States into Warri North LGA to create artificial wards favoring Ijaw settlements.

2. Territorial Expansion from Other LGAs: Communities from Ughelli South, Udu, and Burutu LGAs were reportedly included in Warri South-West LGA, further distorting the constituency's boundaries.

3. Creation of Fictitious Communities: INEC is accused of inventing non-existent communities, which is beyond its legal mandate, in order to inflate Ijaw representation.

4. Renaming of Itsekiri Communities: Authentic Itsekiri communities were allegedly renamed with Ijaw nomenclature, giving the impression of a larger Ijaw population and more wards.

5. Illegal Boundary Adjustments: INEC, which has no legal authority to adjust inter-state or inter-LGA boundaries, allegedly redrew parts of Warri Federal Constituency to include areas outside its legal confines.

6. Usurpation of NPC Functions: INEC reportedly made population assumptions contrary to data from the National Population Commission, affecting the demographic basis for ward creation.

7. Creation of Phantom Settlements: Several wards were said to be created on rivers and forests with no physical structures or residents, violating electoral guidelines.

Petitions and Demands for Investigation

In response to the revelations, Warri Reclamation Thrust confirmed that it has submitted formal petitions to over 30 government bodies, including:

The Presidency

The Senate President

The Speaker of the House of Representatives

The National Security Adviser

The Inspector General of Police

The Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC)

The Department of State Services (DSS)

The group also demanded the immediate arrest and investigation of key INEC officials involved in the exercise. Notably:

Prof. Rhoda Gumus, an INEC National Commissioner alleged to be a member of the Ijaw Leaders of Thought, Mr Joseph Elemson, a prominent Ijaw leader, and other team lead for the delineation project.

Warri Reclamation Thrust, called for a forensic audit of the financial accounts of the aforementioned officials before, during, and after the delineation exercise, citing possible financial inducement and compromise.

Historical Context and Legal Grounds

The group also referenced multiple court judgments up to the Supreme Court, affirming the Itsekiri as the historical and legal landlords of the Warri territory. They argue that the INEC exercise violates not only constitutional provisions but also judicial precedents and territorial integrity.

As tensions simmer, the group reiterated its commitment to peaceful advocacy but warned that the continued marginalization and disenfranchisement of the Itsekiri people through bureaucratic manipulation could provoke constitutional and legal resistance.

In his response, INEC Senior National Commissioner, Prof. Abdullahi Abdu Zuru, reportedly stated that the Commission was looking into all issues raised regarding the controversial delineation report, disclosing that over 60 petitions from different stakeholders, have so far been submitted.

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