The Itsekiri Leaders of Thought has rejected the fresh delineation of wards, polling units and constituencies proposed by the Independent National Electoral Commission for the Warri Federal Constituency in Delta State.
The group, in a statement issued on Thursday by its secretary, Sir Amorighoye Sunny Mene, described the exercise as flawed and allegedly based on what it called “fraudulent data” earlier released by INEC in April 2025.
The Itsekiri leaders argued that the fieldwork and GIS mapping presented by the electoral commission in Asaba on Wednesday failed to comply with provisions of the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2026 and INEC’s own guidelines on constituency delineation.
While acknowledging the creation of two additional state constituencies and one federal constituency, the group insisted that the composition and structure of the proposed arrangement were unacceptable.
According to the statement, INEC allegedly exceeded its constitutional mandate by engaging in demographic interpretations, territorial classifications and recognition of communities, roles the group said fall outside the commission’s electoral responsibilities.
The ILOT further rejected the use of unofficial population estimates, aerial mapping interpretations and what it described as “artificially created community structures” as the basis for electoral delineation in the Warri axis.
The group also claimed that independent survey findings revealed inconsistencies in several proposed polling unit coordinates, alleging that some were located outside designated local government areas and in non-habitable locations, including rivers, forests and neighbouring states.
The Itsekiri leaders called on the Federal Government to investigate the delineation exercise and hold accountable any official found to have compromised the integrity of the process, while urging all stakeholders to pursue peaceful and lawful engagement as consultations continue.
