Itsekiri people dismiss key findings of INEC's investigation report

The Itsekiri nation has reaffirmed its stance against a significant portion of the Independent National Electoral Commission's report on the recent ward redelineation exercise in Warri federal constituency, citing alleged violations of constitutional provisions and the Electoral Act.

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According to Sunny Mene, who spoke on behalf of the Itsekiri nation alongside other leaders including Edward Ekpoko, Prince Yemi Emiko, A. Mene, Alex Eyengho, and Robinson Ariyon, the ethnic nationality is not opposed to ward redelineation when it aligns with constitutional provisions.

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Mene addressed newsmen in Warri, Delta State, yesterday, to express the Itsekiri nation's concerns regarding the proposed delineation of wards, polling units, and state constituencies, as well as the creation of an additional federal constituency within the Warri federal constituency.

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The proposal in question was released by the Independent National Electoral Commission on May 20, 2026, in Asaba, Delta State, prompting a reaction from the Itsekiri nation to media propaganda by a section of the Ijaw and the Urhobo, allegedly sponsored by the Ijaw of Gbaramatu.

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The Itsekiri people, Mene emphasized, are not opposed to lawful electoral reforms, democratic inclusion, or constitutional compliance, and they 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.

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However, the proposed delineation scheme released by INEC on May 20, 2026, is firmly rejected by the Itsekiri nation due to its perceived violations of explicit constitutional provisions, disregard for the Electoral Act 2026, and breaches of INEC's own operational guidelines.

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

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By ignoring its own guidelines on proportionality, INEC has allegedly lumped massive clusters of Itsekiri voters into fewer wards, while artificially inflating smaller voting populations elsewhere to yield more wards, according to the Itsekiri nation.

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The Itsekiri nation also strongly condemned the disrespectful language recently directed at President Bola Tinubu and the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, during hostile press briefings by a section of the Ijaw and Urhobo sponsored by the Ijaw of Gbaramatu, deeming such actions a profound disregard for the highest offices of the nation.