Exposition of the Monumental Fraud in INEC’s Proposed Ward Delineation in Warri Federal Constituency

On April 4, 2025, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) presented its proposed ward delineation documents to stakeholders in Delta State. Since then, there has been a national outcry, particularly from the Itsekiri ethnic nationality, over serious irregularities and what can only be described as a deliberate and coordinated effort to distort demographic and territorial realities in Warri Federal Constituency.

What was initially perceived as routine administrative work has now been exposed as a monumental fraud. Upon a thorough investigation using the very coordinates published in INEC’s own documents, alongside established court judgments on land ownership in Warri, it has become evident that the delineation process was manipulated to favor certain ethnic interests, primarily the Ijaws and Urhobos, at the expense of the Itsekiri people.

Key Findings of Fraudulent Practices by INEC Field Officers:

1. Imported Coordinates Across LGAs in Delta State into Warri Federal Constituency:

Coordinates from Ughelli South were imported to create new wards for the Ijaws in Warri South West LGA.

Coordinates from Udu LGA were used to artificially increase units in Ogbe-Ijoh and Gbaramatu areas.

Communities from Burutu LGA (already Ijaw-controlled) were imported into Warri South West to inflate Ijaw electoral presence.

Communities in Uvwie LGA were incorporated as units within Urhobo wards by INEC to enhance Urhobo voting power against Itsekiri in Warri South LGA, a clear act of electoral fraud.

2. Importing of communities and coordinates from Neighboring States into Delta State, Warri Federal Constituency:

In Warri North, coordinates fell on uninhabited forest areas, or were drawn from fishing camps in Edo and Ondo States, territories outside Delta, to bolster the numbers for the Egbema Ijaws.

Communities in Ilaje and Ese-Odo LGAs of Ondo State were illegally added to INEC’s Warri North wards and units, despite not being part of Delta State. These areas belong to the Ilaje people and were included as part of a deliberate scheme to artificially boost the Ijaw population and voting influence in Warri North.

This illegal annexation goes against constitutional territorial integrity and undermines inter-state boundaries.

3. Deliberate Omission and Suppression of Itsekiri Communities:

Major, long-established Itsekiri communities with large populations were either omitted or renamed using Ijaw prefixes such as “Gbene.”

For example, Ukpokiti, a community in Omadino and 20km distance from Ogunu was submerged into Ogunu, presumably to facilitate the creation of an Urhobo-dominated ward, a move that is both ahistorical and fraudulent.

Ubeji/Egbokodo, with its large population, was severely suppressed, while Edjeba, lacking the landmass or population of Ubeji/Egbokodo, was granted its own ward status.

Ogunu was designated a ward, yet Ugbuwangue, with its large population and landmass, was marginalized and merged with other populous Itsekiri communities that should also be wards. This is a fraudulent act by INEC to diminish Itsekiri voting strength.

A fictitious community named Okpe, which does not exist in Warri South, was carved out of GRA Ward, an Itsekiri-dominated area, to create a voting base for the Urhobo. This is a deliberate attempt to dilute Itsekiri voting power, further exposing INEC’s illegal, unconstitutional, and fraudulent activities.

4. Rigged Demographic Data:

INEC’s field officers bypassed actual population centers and electoral units. Instead of verifying existing wards and units, they inserted false data into the system.

The entire process, based on available evidence, is over 99.9% fraudulent, with no regard for legality, accuracy, or neutrality.

Legal and Political Implications:

This gross manipulation of delineation boundaries has far-reaching consequences:

Electoral materials may be diverted to illegitimately created units.

Votes from annexed territories could be counted in unrelated LGAs.

Over time, Ijaw groups may claim legal ownership over these lands, a strategy already tested and confirmed with the Supreme Court ruling on the Isaba land dispute in 2025.

Call to Action:

This is a formal alert to:

The Government of Edo State and Ondo State specifically to our people the ilajes in ondo state

Chairmen of Ughelli South, Udu, uvwie, and Burutu LGAs

Traditional authorities: the Oba of Benin, the Ovie of Ughelli, the Ovie of Udu, the ovie of uvwie.

Civil society organizations, the Nigerian Bar Association, and international observers

Your territories are being illegally annexed by INEC through forged coordinates and demographic fraud in favor of Ijaw expansionism in Warri. The political consequences for your states, LGAs, and kingdoms are dire if this is not reversed.

We therefore demand:

An immediate nullification of the current INEC field report and proposals for Warri Federal Constituency.

A full investigation into the INEC field officers and coordinators involved.

Prosecution of all INEC staff found guilty of data falsification and breach of the Electoral Act.

A fresh, transparent delineation process in line with court judgments, constitutional boundaries, and existing community records.

The Itsekiri are not raising a false alarm. The fraud is real, the consequences grave. If unchecked, this sets a dangerous precedent not just for Delta State, but for all of Nigeria.

We urge all affected parties, particularly those whose lands were used without consent, to petition the INEC National Chairman, the Delta State REC, and demand an immediate halt and investigation into this ethnic, legal, and electoral fraud.

Cc
INEC Nigeria
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu
Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori
Rt Hon Emomotimi Guwor