Itsekiri youths accuse Nigeria’s electoral commission of inventing polling units in Warri
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Vanguard
The Itsekiri National Youth Council accuses Nigeria’s electoral commission of including fictitious polling units in its report delimiting the Warri Federal Constituency. Its spokesperson, Tuoyo Awani, calls for the report to be withdrawn and warns of a risk of ethnic tensions, according to Vanguard.
The Itsekiri National Youth Council accuses Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of including fictitious polling units in its report delimiting the Warri Federal Constituency. In a statement carried by Vanguard, its public relations officer, Tuoyo Awani, says the units assigned to Ewein wards do not exist and calls for the report to be removed from INEC’s website.
The group accuses the commission of moving polling units between several neighbourhoods. It says units in Ubeji were assigned to Ugbuwangue, while those in Orere, in Omadino/Obodo ward, were attached to Bowen ward. Tuoyo Awani also accuses INEC of using coordinates from other local government areas and other states to lay claim to land.
The council argues that publication of the report could inflame tensions between communities in Warri and warns that INEC would be held responsible if unrest broke out. It says state authorities are aware of the situation but have not informed the national security adviser or the Nigerian president.
The council demands that the wards in Warri South remain delimited as before and says it will challenge the report through legal channels. In Nigeria, INEC recently also approved candidacies for the 2027 elections, including those of Pantami and Gwarzo, but rejected Adebutu’s.
