WARRI DELINEATION: UIY challenges INEC over disputed wards

Ugbarajo Itsekiri Youths, UIY, has demanded that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, provide the legal and geographical basis for the Warri Federal Constituency units and ward delineation data it uploaded. UIY said the report had potential implications for community identity, representation, political participation and public confidence in democratic institutions, particularly amid allegations of electoral boundary manipulation.

The group’s National Public Relations Officer, Gbubemi Ejesi, said Itsekiri youths regarded the disputed developments as a serious threat to electoral justice, the political representation of indigenous communities and peaceful coexistence in Warri. According to him, the recently uploaded electoral structure, including the reported inclusion of locations and units whose geographical and administrative assignments are being challenged, had raised disturbing questions about INEC’s methodology, the authenticity of the geographical coordinates used and the extent to which the exercise complied with applicable judicial decisions.

The statement reads: “UIY expresses its strongest condemnation of the alleged irregularities surrounding the recent ward delineation data uploaded by INEC for Warri Federal Constituency, Delta State. “We regard the disputed developments as a serious threat to electoral justice, the political representation of indigenous communities, and peaceful coexistence in Warri.

The recently uploaded electoral structure, including the reported inclusion of locations and units whose geographical and administrative assignments are being challenged, has raised disturbing questions about INEC’s methodology, the authenticity of the geographical coordinates used, and the extent to which the exercise complies with applicable judicial decisions.

“Of particular concern is the allegation that the disputed delineation is being used to establish an electoral and political presence for Ijaw interests in areas of Warri South, where UIY maintains that such a community-based political structure did not previously exist. Warri cannot be subjected to an electoral arrangement that indigenous communities believe disregards their history, established territorial interests, and legitimate political rights for non-indigenous ethnic groups.

“The Ugbarajo Itsekiri Youths reject the disputed Warri Federal Constituency delineation report recently uploaded by INEC. We are particularly concerned about the reported creation of three disputed wards allegedly carved out of ancestral Okere and Pessu lands, which UIY maintains are historic Itsekiri territories. “We strongly challenge any attempt to alter the electoral structure of these areas without a transparent, lawful, and verifiable process consistent with applicable judicial decisions.

“Our concern is not merely about the names assigned to wards or polling units. It is about the potential consequences of electoral boundary manipulation for community identity, representation, political participation, and public confidence in democratic institutions. “INEC must explain the legal and geographical basis for the disputed arrangements and demonstrate that its actions are consistent with the relevant court decisions and official records.

We will not accept administrative ambiguity as a substitute for electoral justice. “UIY is deeply concerned by allegations that some geographical coordinates associated with the uploaded delineation may be inaccurate, misplaced, or imported from locations outside their proper administrative areas, including other local government areas and locations outside Delta State.

“If established, such discrepancies would raise serious questions about the reliability of the exercise and the integrity of the resulting electoral structure. “We are equally concerned about the reported inclusion of the so-called Ewein wards in Warri South Local Government Area, which UIY disputes as lacking a properly established geographical and administrative basis within the relevant electoral structure.

“We therefore challenge INEC to publish the coordinates, maps, ward descriptions, polling-unit registers, and supporting administrative records for independent verification. “An electoral ward must be supported by verifiable geographical and administrative evidence. No disputed location should be legitimised merely because its name appears on an official portal.

“If the evidence establishes that any ward or polling unit was created, relocated, or assigned through inaccurate data or an unlawful process, INEC must immediately correct the affected records in accordance with the law. “One of the most troubling aspects of the disputed upload is the reported assignment of areas around Dore Numa Market, Mowoe Primary School, along Robert Road, Delta Boat Yard opposite the NEPA office, and the Naval Base to the electoral structure associated with Ogbe-Ijoh in Warri urban.

“UIY maintains that these locations fall within areas historically recogn