Itsekiri Propaganda Cannot Override The Supreme Court Order, INEC Must Announce The Final Delineation Result Now__

By Uche Alvin

OPEN REBUTTAL TO ITSEKIRI NATION’S FALSE PETITION

RE: WARRI FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY, ITSEKIRI PROPAGANDA CANNOT OVERRIDE THE SUPREME COURT. INEC MUST ANNOUNCE THE FINAL DELINEATION RESULT NOW

From: Concerned Ijaw & Urhobo Stakeholders of Warri Federal Constituency
Date: [1/9/2025]

Introduction: Itsekiri Desperation, Not Justice

We have read with disgust the Itsekiri Nation’s press briefing of September 1, 2025, in which they called for the prosecution of INEC officials who conducted the Supreme Court–ordered delineation exercise in Warri Federal Constituency. Their demand is baseless, mischievous and contemptuous of the Supreme Court itself.

This so-called “petition” is not a cry for justice, it is an outburst of fear. The Itsekiri elite are terrified because for the first time since colonial manipulation, the truth of Warri’s demographics and history has been laid bare. INEC must not be intimidated. Rather, INEC must be commended for a perfect and professional exercise carried out in strict obedience to the Constitution and the Supreme Court.

The Itsekiri Fear Is Clear

The Itsekiri panic is glaring because the delineation exercise has stripped them naked before history, law and truth.

Fear of Exposure: For decades, their dominance was built on colonial favoritism and manipulation. British officials expanded the Olu’s authority far beyond Itsekiri boundaries. The fieldwork by INEC has now exposed the reality: the Itsekiri are a minority, both in landmass and population.

Fear of Demographics: Every credible record, the 2006 Census, INEC’s 2011–2023 voters’ registers and even colonial intelligence reports confirms that Ijaw and Urhobo outnumber the Itsekiri across Warri South, South-West and North. INEC’s delineation simply reflected this fact.

Fear of History’s Truth: From 1485 (Pacheco Pereira’s account) to the 1932 and 1938 Warri Intelligence Reports, the evidence is consistent: Ijaw and Urhobo are the ancestral owners and numerical majority of Warri. The infamous 1952 Olu title fraud, where the title was deceitfully changed from Olu of Itsekiri to Olu of Warri, has now been exposed for what it was.

Fear of Losing Apartheid Wards: The old structure, 6 wards for Itsekiri, 4 for Ijaw, 0 for Urhobo was not democracy, it was apartheid. By correcting it, INEC has ended their unjust dominance.

Their so-called petition is nothing but a confession of defeat: the truth has caught up with them.

The Supreme Court Has Spoken

The delineation exercise was not INEC’s invention, it was done under the binding authority of the Supreme Court.

Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended):

“The decisions of the Supreme Court shall be enforced in any part of the Federation by all authorities and persons, and by courts with subordinate jurisdiction to that of the Supreme Court.”

By obeying this judgment, INEC has acted constitutionally. For Itsekiri leaders to now demand prosecution of INEC officials is to demand contempt of the Supreme Court. That is unconstitutional, reckless and unacceptable.

Historical Declarations Against Itsekiri Lies

The Itsekiri claimed INEC created “phantom communities.” This is a lie. History itself proves the legitimacy of Ijaw and Urhobo settlements:

1485 – Duarte Pacheco Pereira: Identified Ijaw settlements in Escravos and Warri.

1716 – Dutch Records: Documented Ijaw naval control.

1928 Warri Township Report (CSO 26/Vol.6/08549): Confirmed Ogbe-Ijoh as the original owners of Warri Township lands.

1932 Warri Intelligence Report (CSO 26/08549): Warned against Itsekiri false claims to Ijaw/Urhobo lands.

1952 – Olu Title Fraud: Fraudulently elevated the Itsekiri monarch’s title to Olu of Warri.

The real “phantoms” are the Itsekiri claims to Warri ownership, concocted, fraudulent and rejected by history.

The Constitutional Mandate for Delimitation

INEC acted strictly within the law:

Sections 112–115, 1999 Constitution: Ward delineation must reflect population, contiguity and community of interest.

Section 14(2)(b): “The security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.” INEC’s delineation corrected decades of injustice that endangered peace.

Section 42(1): Prohibits discrimination. The old ward structure was discriminatory.

Electoral Act 2022, Section 40(2): Mandates INEC to create polling units and allocate voters accordingly.

By fulfilling these, INEC did a thorough and constitutional job.