Itsekiris will steer the course on delineation, ICCA vows

Members of Itsekiri Community Comrades Association, ICCA, have vowed to steer the course on ward delineation in Warri Federal Constituency, saying the exercise was fraudulently orchestrated by some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. 

Chairman of The Itsekiri Community Comrades Association, ICCA, Comrade Oritseneye Fredrick and the Secretary, Comrade Esimaje Richard Ejueyitsi, made the vow, while reacting to Monday attack on protesting members of Ugbarajo Itsekiri Youths, UIY at INEC headquarters in Abuja.

They described the attack as unfortunate and unacceptable, wondering why citizens demanding fairness, justice, and equity in a democratic society, would be subjected to intimidation, harassment, and violence.

The ICCA leadership, in a statement made available to Our Principal Correspondent, proclaimed: "The Itsekiri people have consistently maintained that the ongoing ward delineation process in Warri Federal Constituency must be carried out with transparency, credibility, and fairness. However, we have noticed glaring, fraudulent irregularities aimed at distorting the political and demographic realities of our region.

"Cross-Border Coordinate Fraud: We have uncovered a highly fraudulent act where coordinates from entirely different local government areas and states—specifically Udu, Ughelli North, Ondo State, and Edo State—were deliberately moved into the Warri Federal Constituency to artificially fabricate wards and units for the Ijaws and Urhobos. Despite formal reports lodged by the Itsekiri nation, INEC has stubbornly refused to look into these reports or make the necessary corrections.

"The Warri Urban (Warri South) Encroachment: Bringing the Ijaws of Ogbe-Ijaw into Warri Urban (Warri South) is a geopolitical aberration. Historically and administrative-wise, the Ogbe-Ijaw belong in Warri South-West. It is a matter of public record that the Ijaws are already illegally hosting the headquarters of Warri South-West in Ogbe-Ijaw, in flagrant violation of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which clearly designates Ogidigben as the rightful headquarters.

"Defiance of Judicial Precedent: Courts of competent jurisdiction have repeatedly barred the Ijaws from contesting land ownership in Warri South or Warri Urban. Since they have no legal or historical claims to land in Warri Urban, we ask: on whose land are these new wards being fabricated? You cannot build a structure on a non-existent foundation. INEC cannot arbitrarily take Itsekiri ancestral lands to allocate wards to groups with no land ownership rights in the area.

"Deliberate Marginalization of Large Itsekiri Communities: While INEC is busy using single streets to miraculously create standalone wards for the Ijaws and Urhobos in Warri South, it has consistently and unfairly merged major, massive Itsekiri communities together to artificially diminish our numerical strength. Prominent, expansive Itsekiri communities like Obodo, Ubeji, Omadino, Ifie, Ijala and Ugbuwangue, among others, are more than large enough to stand as independent wards on their own.

"INEC must remain committed to its constitutional responsibility of electoral delineation and not drift into the responsibilities of a population census body through actions capable of distorting historical realities, demographic balance, and the political identity of indigenous peoples.

"The Itsekiri Nation has always stood for peace, coexistence, and democratic engagement, but peace must be built on justice and fairness. Any attempt to marginalize, suppress, or gerrymander away the legitimate rights and ancestral identity of the Itsekiri people will only create avoidable tensions capable of threatening the fragile peace in the Niger Delta.

"We therefore call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the National Assembly, civil society organizations, traditional institutions, and all defenders of democracy to intervene immediately. INEC must be compelled to correct these fraudulent coordinates, respect judicial precedents on land ownership, and ensure that the delineation process is fair, inclusive, and acceptable to all critical stakeholders.

"The Itsekiri Community Comrades Association stands firmly with all peaceful protesters and assures the Itsekiri people that we shall remain united, vigilant, and resolute in defending our heritage, political rights, and identity through lawful and constitutional means.

The Itsekiri people will steer the course."

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