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By Lukman Olabiyi
The Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), has condemned the recent delineation exercise carried out by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in parts of Warri, describing it as flawed, biased, and a threat to peace in the region.
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Yinka Oguntimehin, the OPC accused INEC of deliberately skewing the delineation in favour of the Ijaw community, to the detriment of the Itsekiri and Urhobo people.
The group is demanding an immediate reversal of the exercise to prevent a potential outbreak of violence between the affected ethnic groups.
According to the OPC, several irregularities were committed during the exercise, including the renaming of Itsekiri communities, the relocation of communities from other local government areas to displace existing Itsekiri settlements, and the inclusion of areas from neighbouring Edo and Ondo states to form new units and wards within Itsekiri lands.
The OPC further alleged that INEC violated its own guidelines by creating electoral units in inappropriate locations such as shrines, forests, and waterways.
It added that while Ijaw communities in Warri South West Local Government Area were fully delineated, several Itsekiri areas were neglected, pointing to what the group described as unequal treatment.
The statement also raised concerns over reports that the Ijaw community was pressuring INEC to implement an earlier draft of the delineation, allegedly based on prior financial commitments. The OPC warned that such developments cast serious doubt on the integrity and transparency of the process.
Of particular concern to the OPC is what it described as an on-going attempt by the Ijaw community to encroach on Itsekiri lands, including areas such as Abiteye, Ijahala, and Kantu – locations that host significant oil facilities.
