Peaceful protesters from the Ubarajo Itsekiri Youths (UIY) were attacked while demonstrating against a contentious ward delineation proposal by the Independent National Electoral Commission in Warri, triggering a furious response from the Itsekiri Grassroot Coalition (IGC) and the broader Itsekiri Nation.
The attack
on the youths, who had gathered to protest what their community describes as a
deliberate attempt to diminish Itsekiri political representation in the Warri
Federal Constituency, has sharpened an already volatile standoff between the
Itsekiri people and Nigeria's electoral umpire.
The
coalition is now demanding a public apology from INEC and an independent
investigation into the assault and all surrounding allegations.
"We
are deeply disturbed by the attack on peaceful Itsekiri youths who exercised
their democratic right to protest against this injustice," the coalition's
National Coordinator, Prince Collins Oritsetimeyin Edema, said in a statement.
"No citizen should be intimidated, harassed, or assaulted for demanding
fairness and equity in a democratic society."
Beyond the
violence against protesters, the IGC has formally rejected INEC's proposed ward
boundary exercise, describing it as a calculated erosion of the Itsekiri
people's historical rights and constitutional representation in one of
Nigeria's most economically vital constituencies, a region whose oil and gas
resources have long sustained the national economy.
The
coalition is demanding the immediate withdrawal of the proposed ward
boundaries, a fresh and inclusive delineation process involving all critical
stakeholders, a public apology from INEC for the attack on protesters, and a
full independent investigation into the incident.
It is also
calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the National Assembly, civil society
organizations, traditional institutions, and democracy advocates to intervene
urgently before tensions escalate further.
"No
democratic society can thrive where the voices of indigenous peoples are
ignored or suppressed," the statement declared. "The Itsekiri people
will remain united, vigilant, and steadfast in the defense of their homeland,
heritage, and identity."
The
coalition said it would pursue its demands strictly through lawful democratic
actions, civic engagement, advocacy, and constitutional means, but made clear
that the Itsekiri Nation would not yield on its demand for fairness, justice,
equity, and respect for its ancestral identity.
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