Constituency Delineation: Itsekiri Leaders Reject INEC Data

The Itsekiri Leaders of Thought (ILOT) have rejected the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (Independent National Electoral Commission) fresh proposal on the delineation of wards, polling units, state constituencies, and an additional federal constituency in the Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State.

In a statement released in the early hours of Thursday by its Secretary, Sir Amorighoye Sunny Mene, the group described the exercise as flawed, alleging that it was based on previously rejected and “fraudulent” data earlier presented by INEC.

ILOT said the new delineation report, released after fieldwork and GIS mapping, does not comply with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2026, and INEC’s own guidelines governing boundary and polling unit delineation.

While acknowledging the Supreme Court judgment in Suit No. SC/143/2016, which ordered INEC to carry out fresh delineation in Warri South, Warri South-West, and Warri North LGAs, the group insisted that the ruling did not declare existing wards or voter registers invalid.

The leaders accused INEC of exceeding its constitutional mandate by engaging in what they described as ethnographic and territorial interpretation, including the classification of communities and demographic adjustments.

They also rejected the use of what they called unofficial population estimates, aerial mapping, and “artificially created community structures” as the basis for electoral boundary decisions.

ILOT further argued that the exercise undermines constitutional order and electoral integrity, insisting that INEC’s role is strictly administrative and electoral, not cultural or territorial.

The group also dismissed claims that the Ijaw and Urhobo ethnic groups in Warri Federal Constituency lack political representation, saying historical evidence shows they have continued to occupy significant political offices in the area.

In addition, the leaders raised concerns over alleged technical inconsistencies in INEC’s proposed polling unit coordinates, claiming that some units were mapped outside their local government areas, including locations said to fall in rivers, forests, swamps, and even neighbouring states.

They called for a full investigation by the Federal Government into the delineation exercise and urged accountability for any officials found to have compromised the process.

ILOT said formal objections have already been submitted to INEC and the Office of the National Security Adviser, while urging stakeholders to avoid violence and pursue lawful means of resolving the dispute.

The group reaffirmed its commitment to peace, constitutional order, and coexistence among all ethnic nationalities within the Warri Federal Constituency.