WARRI, June 17, 2025 — A coalition under the banner of Warri Reclamation Thrust has issued a scathing indictment of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), accusing the commission of orchestrating a fraudulent and ethnically biased ward delineation process in Warri Federal Constituency, Delta State.
In a press statement released on Monday, the group detailed what it described as “a monumental fraud” in the ward delineation proposal presented by INEC to stakeholders on April 4, 2025. The statement alleges that INEC’s field exercise was deliberately manipulated to disenfranchise the Itsekiri ethnic group while inflating the political influence of Ijaw and Urhobo populations in the region.
According to Warri Reclamation Thrust, INEC illegally imported geographic coordinates from unrelated local government areas into Warri Federal Constituency to manufacture new electoral wards favorable to non-Itsekiri groups.
Some of the allegations include, use of coordinates from Ughelli South and Udu LGAs to create new Ijaw-dominated wards in Warri South West. Incorporation of communities from Burutu LGA into Warri South West to boost Ijaw voter numbers.
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Importation of Uvwie communities into Warri South to increase Urhobo electoral dominance. Importing coordinates from Edo and Ondo States—including fishing camps and riverine areas—into Warri North LGA to artificially bolster the Egbema Ijaw voter base.
The statement emphasizes that these actions violate constitutional boundaries, disrupt demographic integrity, and amount to illegal annexation of territories belonging to other states and ethnic nationalities.
The group also accused INEC of systematically marginalizing Itsekiri communities: Well-known Itsekiri towns such as Ukpokiti, Ubeji, and Ugbuwangue were either omitted or absorbed into unrelated wards.
In some cases, Itsekiri communities were renamed with Ijaw nomenclature, such as adding the suffix “Gbene,” in what the group described as an effort to “erase and replace” indigenous identities.
A non-existent community named Okpe was allegedly fabricated within the GRA area of Warri South to grant the Urhobos additional voting strength.
These moves, the group contends, were not only fraudulent but intended to weaken the Itsekiri’s historical and electoral claim to their lands and reduce their political voice.
Warri Reclamation Thrust asserts that INEC failed to verify actual population centers and instead inserted fictitious demographic data into the system. The group describes the overall process as “99.9% fraudulent,” arguing that the exercise violates the Electoral Act and undermines the rule of law.
The statement also warns of long-term legal consequences, referencing the recent Supreme Court ruling on the Isaba land dispute in 2025, which could embolden future land claims based on these manipulated delineations.
In what appears to be a call for collective action, the group has appealed to: The Governments of Edo and Ondo States. Chairmen of Ughelli South, Udu, Uvwie, and Burutu LGAs. Respected traditional rulers, including the Oba of Benin and various Ovies in Delta State. Civil society groups, the Nigerian Bar Association, and international electoral observers
They warned that the ongoing delineation crisis in Warri could spark wider territorial conflicts if not swiftly addressed.
The group outlined four core demands:
- Immediate nullification of the current INEC ward delineation report for Warri Federal Constituency.
- A full, independent investigation into the activities of INEC field officers and coordinators involved in the process.
- Prosecution of officials found guilty of data forgery and violation of electoral laws.
- A transparent, court-guided delineation exercise based on verified population figures, constitutional boundaries, and legal land ownership records.
“The Itsekiri are not crying wolf,” the statement reads. “The fraud is real, the intent is deliberate, and the consequences are deeply dangerous—not just for the Itsekiri people but for the peace, unity, and democratic future of Nigeria.”
As of the time of this report, INEC has not issued any official response to the allegations.
