Iconic Global
WARRI — The fragile peace in Delta State’s oil-rich hub faces a fresh test as the Ugbarajo Itsekiri Youths (UIY), Warri South Zone, has vehemently rejected the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) proposed delineation report for the Warri Federal Constituency.
In a strongly worded press briefing held in Warri, the group labeled the electoral umpire’s recent exercise as “fraudulent, provocative,” and a calculated attempt to marginalize the Itsekiri people in their ancestral homeland.
The Core Dispute: ‘Twisting’ the Apex Court’s Mandate
While the UIY clarified that it does not oppose the Supreme Court of Nigeria’s directive to delineate wards and constituencies in the region, it fiercely criticized INEC’s execution of the order.
In a joint statement signed by the Chairman of UIY Warri South Zone, Amanoritsewor Moses, and the Secretary, Eboma Tuoyo, the youth group accused INEC of turning a legal mandate into an instrument of political suppression.
”We do not oppose the Supreme Court’s mandate for delineation in Warri Federal Constituency. What we firmly reject and condemn is how a Supreme Court order is being twisted and used as a weapon of oppression.”
— Ugbarajo Itsekiri Youths (UIY)
Allegations of Land Carving and ‘Phantom’ Communities
The crux of the Itsekiri youths’ grievance lies in the geographical changes proposed in the new INEC map. The UIY alleged that the commission systematically carved out verified Itsekiri territories to create “non-existent Ijaw communities and wards” within the Warri South Local Government Area.
The group pointed out that key urban areas and commercial hubs—including Dore Numa Market, Robert Road, the Government Reserved Area (GRA), Ewein, and Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Urban—are historically, culturally, and legally tied to Itsekiri heritage.
To back their claims, the UIY cited a long history of judicial precedents and landmark land disputes, insisting that past court judgments have repeatedly affirmed Itsekiri ownership and interest in these specific sectors of Warri South.
A Threat to Regional Security
The UIY warned that forcing the current report through could reignite historical tensions and breach the hard-earned peace in the oil city. Describing the document as a “slap in the face of every Itsekiri soul,” the group argued that the proposed boundaries defy geography, logic, and basic human decency.
In response to the brewing crisis, the youth group tabled a list of immediate demands:
Immediate Halt: INEC must instantly suspend the implementation of the controversial report.
Transparent Review: A comprehensive and inclusive review of the proposed delineation map must be conducted out in the open.
State Intervention: The Delta State Government must step in to protect established indigenous land rights.
Security Oversight: The National Security Adviser (NSA) must intervene before the controversy escalates into local unrest.
A Call for Calm
Despite the high stakes and deep resentment surrounding the report, the UIY leadership strongly appealed to Itsekiri youths across the state to maintain the peace.
”We urge our people not to resort to lawlessness,” the statement concluded. “Let us channel our pain into peaceful and vigilant resistance, and pursue our redress strictly through lawful means.”
As of the time of filing this report, INEC has yet to issue an official response to the allegations raised by the UIY.
Reported by Iconic Times Correspondent, Delta State.
