Leaders of the Itsekiri ethnic nationality have rejected the proposed delineation of wards, polling units, state constituencies, and the creation of an additional federal constituency in Warri Federal Constituency by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). They alleged that the exercise was fraught with constitutional, legal, and technical irregularities.
Allegations of Irregularities
The Itsekiri leaders urged the federal government to immediately investigate the technical execution and conduct of the delineation exercise, describing it as an embarrassment to the nation. They demanded that, based on electoral voters baseline data from the 2023 general election, each of the six Itsekiri wards in Warri North and Warri South West should be multiplied by two, as well as the Ijaws four. This would result in the following fair and equitable resolution: Warri North — Itsekiri 12 wards, Ijaw 8 wards; Warri South West — Itsekiri 12 wards.
Flawed Fieldwork and GIS Data
The leaders accused INEC of relying on flawed fieldwork and disputed Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping data in producing the report unveiled in Asaba on May 20, 2026. They stated that while they fully support the Supreme Court judgment directing a fresh delineation exercise in Warri South, Warri South-West, and Warri North Local Government Areas, they could not accept what they described as a defective implementation process.
Itsekiri Leaders Speak Out
Itsekiri leaders who spoke at the briefing included Chief Edward Ekpoko, Prince Yemi Emiko, Sir A.S. Mene, Alex Eyengho, and Chief Robinson Ariyo. They stated that the Itsekiri people were not opposed to democratic inclusion, electoral reforms, or constitutional compliance, but argued that the proposed delineation violated provisions of the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2026, and INEC’s own guidelines on electoral boundary adjustments.
“The Itsekiri people are not opposed to lawful electoral reforms, democratic inclusion or constitutional compliance. We fully respect the judgment of the Supreme Court which directed INEC to conduct a fresh delineation exercise in Warri South, Warri South-West and Warri North LGAs,” they stated.
Specific Complaints
Citing examples, they claimed that some proposed wards in Ogbe-Ijoh area of Warri South were created using seven polling units, while communities such as Orere and Ugborodo had significantly more polling units allocated to single wards. The Itsekiri leaders also faulted the creation of proposed wards identified as Bolou-Ama and Ewein in Warri South Local Government Area, arguing that the settlements were not indigenous to the area and that some polling units assigned to them belonged to communities in Warri South-West.
They accused INEC of failing to conduct adequate fieldwork in several Itsekiri communities within Warri South Local Government Area. They listed communities such as Ubeji, Omadino, Ifie, Egbokodo, Orugbo, Ode-Itsekiri, McDermott, Ajigba, Inorin, Ugbodede, Usele, Ajatiton, and Ifie Kporo as settlements allegedly omitted from the field report despite their significant population size.
Warning Against Violence
They accused certain Ijaw groups, particularly from Gbaramatu Kingdom, of sponsoring media campaigns and inflammatory rhetoric over the delineation issue. They cautioned against threats of violence and actions capable of destabilizing the region, and called on all stakeholders to pursue their grievances through lawful and democratic means.
