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 recognised by our people as Itsekiri reserve areas and calls for the relevant official records to be examined.

“We question the basis upon which these locations were reportedly assigned and demand that INEC disclose the maps, coordinates, administrative boundaries, and legal instruments supporting the assignments.

“The commission must explain how these locations were assessed and whether the relevant historical, geographical, and judicial records were properly considered.

“We are concerned that the disputed assignments could facilitate the establishment of political structures in areas whose community and territorial status remains contested.

“INEC must not allow electoral administration to become a vehicle for deepening existing disputes. The disputed delineation has heightened concerns about the movement of political interests from outside Warri South into its electoral structure.

“The emergence of political figures with roots in Burutu Local Government Area, including Hon. Ebike Victor Oromoni, whom we understand to be an indigene of Burutu, a former two-term Burutu Local Government PDP chairman, and a former Senior Special Assistant to the immediate past Delta State Governor, has intensified these concerns among our people.

“For the avoidance of doubt, an individual’s origin or political affiliation does not, on its own, establish electoral wrongdoing.

“Our concern is whether the disputed ward arrangements are being used to facilitate political representation through boundaries or polling-unit assignments that lack a lawful and verifiable basis.

“The relevant question is straightforward: What geographical, administrative, and legal evidence supports the disputed electoral structure in Warri South?

“INEC must answer this question with documentary evidence. UIY is further alarmed by the reported inclusion of Bolouama Town Hall, Obokone Town Hall, Orupa Town Hall, Oturubiri, and Ewein as polling units and/or wards within Warri South Local Government Area.

“We strongly challenge the basis for these assignments and call for an immediate, transparent examination of their geographical coordinates, administrative classifications, and legal status.

“Our position is that the inclusion of these locations must not be accepted without evidence demonstrating that the assignments comply with applicable laws, official administrative records, and binding judicial decisions.

“If any of these locations has been wrongly assigned to Warri South, the error must be corrected without delay. The commission must publish the relevant records so that affected communities, electoral stakeholders, and the public can independently examine the disputed claims.

“UIY is also concerned about reports that Ubeji polling units have been mapped into Ugbuwangue Ward and that Orere polling units associated with the Omadino/Obodo axis have been transferred into Bowen Ward.

“These reported changes raise important questions about the methodology used to determine ward boundaries and assign polling units. We demand a detailed explanation of the reasons for these changes, including the coordinates used, the previous and current polling-unit registers, and the administrative records relied upon.

“Where discrepancies are identified, INEC must correct them through a transparent process that complies with the law.

“The commission owes the people of Warri an explanation that can withstand independent scrutiny.

“Okere and Pessu: UIY reaffirms its position on Itsekiri ancestral territory.

“The Ugbarajo Itsekiri Youths reiterates its position that Okere and Pessu are ancestral Itsekiri territories whose historical identity and territorial interests must not be undermined through disputed electoral arrangements.

“We reject any attempt to use electoral delineation to prejudge or alter legitimate territorial claims. We call upon INEC and the relevant authorities to examine the historical records, official maps, applicable judicial decisions, and other admissible evidence relating to the disputed areas.

“Electoral boundaries must be determined through lawful procedures and reliable evidence, not through unilateral administrative decisions that leave affected communities feeling excluded or dispossessed.

“UIY will continue to defend Itsekiri interests through peaceful advocacy, documentary evidence, constitutional processes, and every lawful avenue available to our people.”

The post WARRI DELINEATION: UIY challenges INEC over disputed wards appeared first on Vanguard News.