Protesters storm Delta INEC office over alleged irregularities in Warri delineation

Over 200 Urhobo and Itsekiri residents of Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State have protested at the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, office in Asaba over alleged irregularities in the delineation of electoral wards in the area.They alleged that the exercise could undermine the political representation of their communities.The protesters accused INEC of introducing fictitious names, unfamiliar wards and questionable polling units into the electoral structure of the LGA.They called on the commission to correct what they described as errors in the delineation exercise and ensure that the electoral structure reflected the genuine ancestral settlements and interests of the different ethnic groups in the local government area.Addressing the protesters, an Itsekiri leader, Samuel Meyiwa, said the community had earlier embraced a political solution to the dispute following meetings involving stakeholders at the office of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources.He alleged that unfamiliar names and addresses had been introduced into the electoral records, questioning how people without verifiable ancestral homes or identifiable connections to the affected communities could be recognised as residents of Warri South.He said the understanding reached was that fictitious names and addresses allegedly introduced into the Warri South electoral records should be removed.Meyiwa, however, expressed disappointment that the list subsequently released by INEC did not reflect the agreement.“We were all at the meeting, and the understanding was that the fictitious names and addresses in Warri South should be removed.

I have never heard of them before,” he said.He also questioned the creation of additional wards and polling units, alleging that the delineation exercise had altered previous arrangements among the communities.Marcus said the protesters wanted INEC to restore what they considered a fair electoral structure and correct the alleged errors.“We are here for INEC to correct the wrongs it has done,” he said.Responding, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, in Delta State, Sir Etekamba Udo Umoren, acknowledged the protesters' right to peaceful protest and urged them to avoid violence.He advised them to submit their grievances in writing for onward transmission to the commission's national headquarters in Abuja.Umoren said he had observed the different messages on the protesters' placards but advised them to present a comprehensive position paper detailing their complaints, previous engagements with the commission and the action they expected.“I have seen all the placards you are carrying.

So, what has happened to the agreement we reached?” he said.Meyiwa said the protest was not intended to create hostility between the Itsekiri and other ethnic groups but to demand fairness and respect for the agreement reached by stakeholders.The Urhobo representative, Eforele Marcus, also accused INEC of introducing unfamiliar ward names and altering the existing electoral structure in a manner he said could affect the political representation of the Urhobo people.Marcus argued that the different ethnic groups in Warri South had distinct ancestral settlements and should have their electoral representation properly reflected.“They brought names that are not in existence in our communities.