Delineation: Itsekiris back creation of additional constituencies, unveil communities omitted by INEC during field report

The Itsekiri Ethnic Nationality in Delta and Edo States, has backed the creation of additional state constituencies for Warri North and Warri South-West Local Government Areas as well as the creation of additional federal constituency from the present Warri Federal Constituency.

The Itsekiri Nation, stated that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, failed to conduct substantive fieldwork in rapidly growing settlements, such as Ubeji, Omadino, Ifie, Egbokodo, Orugbo, Ode-Itsekiri, McDermott, Ajigba, Inorin, Ugbodede, Usele, Ajatiton, and Ifie Kporo, “despite their combined population outstripping Gbaramatu and Ogbe-Ijoh combined.”

The position of Itsekiri Nation, was made known in Warri, Delta State, Wednesday June 3, when Itsekiri leaders addressed a world press conference in “reaction to a section of the Ijaw and Urhobo on-going media attack on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu.”

Renowned Itsekiri leader, Sir Amorighoye Sunny Mene, who read the press statement signed by himself, Chairman of Itsekiri Leaders of Thought, ILOT, Chief Edward Ekpoko, the Egogo of Warri Kingdom, Chief (Barr.) Robinson Ariyo, Prince Yemi Emiko and Comr. Alex Eyengho, urged stakeholders in Warri Federal Constituency, to eschew inflammatory rhetoric and pursue peaceful, lawful democratic engagement.

Below, is full text of the press statement;

ADDRESSED BY THE ITSEKIRI ETHNIC NATIONALITY ON THE 3RD OF JUNE, 2026 AT THE UBEJI TOWN HALL, WARRI, DELTA STATE ON THE PROPOSED DELINEATION OF WARDS, POLLING UNITS, STATE CONSTITUENCIES AND ADDITIONAL FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY IN WARRI FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY, DELTA STATE, NIGERIA AND OUR REACTION TO A SECTION OF THE IJAW AND URHOBO ON-GOING MEDIA ATTACK ON PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU, GCFR AND THE FIRST LADY, SEN. OLUREMI TINUBU, CON.

Protocols.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press,

Distinguished Members of the International Community,

Representatives of Civil Society, Democratic Institutions, and Concerned Nigerians,

Introduction:

We address you today on behalf of the Itsekiri Ethnic Nationality (IEN) regarding the proposed delineation of wards, polling units, state constituencies, the creation of an additional federal constituency within the Warri Federal Constituency and our reaction to media propaganda by a section of the Ijaw and the Urhobo (sponsored by the Ijaw of Gbaramatu). The proposal was released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Asaba, Delta State, on 20th May, 2026.

Some Itsekiris protesting on the sidelines of the world press conference at Ubeji, Warri

2.       From the outset, we state unequivocally that the Itsekiri people are not opposed to lawful electoral reforms, democratic inclusion, or constitutional compliance. We fully respect the judgment of the Supreme Court in Suit No. SC/143/2016, which directed INEC to conduct a fresh delineation exercise in Warri South, Warri South-West, and Warri North Local Government Areas (LGAs).

3.       However, we firmly reject the proposed delineation scheme released by INEC on 20th May, 2026, for the reasons given shortly. In our considered view, this exercise violates explicit constitutional provisions, disregards The Electoral Act 2026 (as amended), breaches INEC’s own operational Guidelines, and relies on deeply flawed, disputed fieldwork and GIS mapping processes.

4.       Reasons why we reject INEC Proposal:

Our position rests firmly on law, technical facts, and democratic principles.

5.       The Legal Framework and INEC’s Violations

The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria establishes the strict legal framework for electoral delineation. Furthermore, INEC’s operational Guidelines mandate that electoral wards must respect proportionality, geographical contiguity, community identity, cultural balance, and established local government boundaries.

6.       The governing statutory authorities are:

i.        The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) – Section 114(1) and (2).

ii.       The Electoral Act, 2026 (as amended) – Section 40(1) and (2).

iii.      INEC’s Extant Guidelines for Delineation.

7.       Section 114(1) of the Constitution mandates INEC to review and alter constituencies at intervals of not less than ten years, or following a national population census or state boundary adjustment as provided in Section 114(2). Where none of these triggering events has occurred, the sole statutory mechanism available to INEC to implement the Supreme Court judgment is Section 40 of the Electoral Act 2026 (as amended), which states:

“40. (1) The Commission shall divide each Local Government Area into registration areas or Electoral Wards not being less than 10 and not more than 20 as the circumstance of the Local Government Area may require.

(2) The Commission shall establish adequate numbers of polling units in each registration area or Electoral Ward and shall allot voters to such polling units.”

8.       INEC flagrant disregard for these laws:

i.        Technical Discrepancies and Flawed GIS Mapping: Independent geographic, surveying, and cartographic experts have reviewed the data and coordinates released by INEC. Their findings reveal profound irregularities that undermine the technical credibility and legality of the entire exercise:

ii.       Extraterritorial Mapping: Multiple polling units allocated to Warri South-West and Warri North LGAs are geographically located entirely outside their legally recognized boundaries, stretching into Edo and Ondo States; Ethiope LGA, and Sapele LGA in Delta State.

iii.      Uninhabitable Terrain: Several proposed polling units fall directly inside rivers, deep swamps, dense forests, and completely uninhabitable locations.

iv.      Boundary Crossings: Certain proposed wards artificially combine polling units across different local government areas, directly violating INEC’s core guideline: "No ward shall fall within more than one Local Government Area."

9.       Revelation from Independent and Impartial Expert Examination:

A specific review of the independent expert report reveals the following data manipulation:

i.                   Warri South-West LGA

a)       Total INEC Polygons for Registration Areas: 1,798

b)      Polygons Submerged in Water: 320

c)       Polygons sharing duplicate/identical coordinates: 477

d)      Polygons located inside LGA boundaries: 1,287

e)       Polygons located outside LGA boundaries: 510 (placed in Burutu, Ughelli South, Udu, and Warri South LGAs)

f)       Proposed Wards falling completely outside Delta State: 1

Note: These external polygons were systematically credited to Ijaw areas of Warri South-West to engineer a false demographic superiority over the Itsekiri.

ii.       Warri North LGA

a)       Polygons inside LGA boundaries: 609

b)      Polygons outside LGA boundaries: 6

c)       Polygons outside Delta State (falling into Ondo and Edo States): 99

Note: Unaligned polygons and those falling into rivers, swamps, Ethiope LGA, and Sapele LGA were similarly credited to Ijaw areas to distort actual voter populations.

iii.      Warri South LGA

Despite Warri Urban being one of the largest hubs in Delta State, INEC failed to conduct substantive fieldwork here. Rapidly growing settlements such as Ubeji, Omadino, Ifie, Egbokodo Itsekiri, Orugbo, Ode-Itsekiri, McDermott, Ajigba, Inorin, Ugbodede, Usele, Ajatiton, and Ifie Kporo were entirely omitted from INEC's field report – despite their combined population outstripping Gbaramatu and Ogbe-Ijaw combined.

10.     Manipulation of Wards and Fabricated Units

The Supreme Court judgment did not declare the existing 2023 voter register invalid. Therefore, discarding verifiable data from the 2023 General Elections in favor of manufactured mapping undermines public confidence. Delineation must be based on verified registered voter strength, not arbitrary spatial allocations.

11.     We observe that INEC has created polling units and wards without valid, registered voters. By ignoring its own Guidelines on proportionality, INEC has lumped massive clusters of Itsekiri voters into fewer wards, while artificially inflating smaller voting populations elsewhere to yield more wards.

12.     For example, seven (7) polling units were used to create proposed wards like Bolou-Ama and Ewein in Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Urban, while sixty (60) polling units each were used to create wards in Orere and Ugborodo in Warri South-West LGA.

13.     Cross-LGA Lumping:

This cross-LGA lumping is illegal. INEC’s mandate is strictly administrative and operational; it possesses no constitutional power to alter community boundaries, create towns, or assume the roles of the National Population Commission or the Boundary Adjustment Commission.

i.        In Warri South LGA, INEC proposed three new wards: Ward 2 (Bolou-Ama), Ward 7 (Ewein), and Ward 12 (Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Urban).

ii.       The names Bolou-Ama and Ewein are completely alien to Warri South LGA.

iii.      These units were harvested from the Itsekiri-populated GRA Ward 5.

14.     Specifically, Ward 7 (Ewein Ward) features seven polling units. Five of these (Orupa Town Hall, Ewein Primary School II, Eweigbene Town Hall, Eweigbene Primary School, and Eweigbene Playground) belong to Ogbe-Ijoh Town in Warri South-West LGA, as confirmed by their codes.

15.     Baseline Electoral Data (2023 General Elections)

For the historical record, any lawful delineation exercise must rely on the verified voter distribution from the 2023 General Elections:

i.                   Warri North LGA Baseline

ii.                 Warri South-West LGA Baseline

iii.              Warri South LGA Baseline:

Total Registered Voters: 177,826 | Total Polling Units: 351 (Across 12 Wards: Obodo/Omadino, Ode-Itsekiri, Ogunnu/Ekurede Urhobo, Ugbuwangue/ Ekurede-Itsekiri, G.R.A, Bowen, Pessu, Okere, Igbudu, Edjeba, Okumagba I, and Okumagba II).

16.     Historical Context and the Rule of Law:

We must correct the misleading narrative that other ethnic nationalities within the Warri Federal Constituency lack political representation. Historical records show that Ijaw and Urhobo groups hold significant political offices across these three LGAs. This dispute is not about opposing coexistence; the Itsekiri people remain fully committed to peace and the mutual rights of all Nigerians.

17.     However, peace requires respect for judicial precedents. It is ironic that groups who have historically disregarded landmark Supreme Court judgments regarding land ownership and their customary tenancy to the Itsekiri in the region are today selectively citing judicial authority. We urge all parties to respect the rule of law to maintain regional stability.

18.     We note with absolute calm and zero intimidation, the threats of violence, economic sabotage, or administrative disruption being issued by these faction of the Ijaw and Urhobo (sponsored by the Ijaw of Gbaramatu) because of their newly found wealth and importance, courtesy of the federal government largesse.

19.     It is unfortunate that the Ijaw of Gbaramatu who are the greatest beneficiary of the federal government in the Niger Delta are behind the unjustified attacks on the presidency and the federal government.

20.     We warn clearly – 2026 is not the era of 1997 to 2003. We condemn any threats to peace, public infrastructure or regional stability. We must be mindful of the words of General Ibrahim Babangida, when he warned that the drums of war are easy to beat but their rhythms are difficult to dance. Starting a war or political upheaval comes with the slightest provocation but ending them becomes inelastic, almost unending with painful footages. A word is enough for the wise.

21.     Furthermore, we strongly deprecate the disrespectful and uncouth language recently directed at the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR), and the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu (CON), during recent hostile press briefings by these section of the Ijaw and Urhobo who are sponsored by the Ijaw of Gbaramatu. Such actions show a profound disregard for the highest offices of our nation.

22.     The fact that the Ijaw of Gbaramatu has sponsored a section of the Ijaw and Urhobo in a war of attrition that has attracted so much media propaganda that is disproportionate to their real political size and against equity and justice, will not make the Itsekiri surrender their political space to these people who are on media rampage.

23.     While we commend the leadership of INEC for its visionary proposal to create two additional State Constituencies and one Federal Constituency from the Warri Federal Constituency, the implementation must be flawless and lawful.

24.     Our Demands:

The Itsekiri people will continue to pursue their constitutional rights through peaceful, civilized, and lawful means.

i.                   We demand that based on electoral voters baseline data from the 2023 general election, each of the six (6) Itsekiri Wards in Warri North and Warri South West should be multiplied by two (2) as well as the Ijaw four (4) wards. This will now give the following fair and equitable resolution for the whole exercise, thus:

a)       Warri North – Itsekiri 12 wards; Ijaw 8 wards

b)      Warri South-West – Itsekiri 12 wards; Ijaw 8 wards

This is our irreducible minimum position.

ii.       We support the creation of additional state constituencies for Warri North and Warri South West LGAs.

iii.      We also support the creation of additional federal constituency from the present Warri Federal Constituency.

iv.      The Federal Government of Nigeria: To immediately investigate the technical execution and conduct of this delineation exercise. It is an embarrassment to the nation. The international community is watching.

v.       The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC): To suspend reliance on the disputed fieldwork and flawed GIS mapping data pending an independent, transparent technical verification.

vi.      Security and Oversight Institutions: To closely monitor the process, ensuring transparency, accountability, and total compliance with constitutional order.

vii.     All Stakeholders: To eschew inflammatory rhetoric and pursue peaceful, lawful democratic engagement.

25.     Our demand is simple: Equity. Justice. Fairness. Constitutional Compliance.

26.     Thank you, and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Signed

for and on behalf of Itsekiri Ethnic Nationality

____________________                                              ____________________

Chief Edward Ekpoko                                       Prince Yemi Emiko

____________________                                              ____________________

Sir A. S. Mene                                                     Alex Eyengho

___________________

Chief Robinson Ariyo

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