By Joseph Erunke, Abuja

Renowned legal practitioner and Egogo of Warri Kingdom, Chief Robinson Ariyo, has argued that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) lacks the constitutional authority to delineate or re-delineate electoral wards.

In his reaction to INEC’s delineation of wards in the Warri Federal Constituency on April 4, 2025, Ariyo emphasized that it is not INEC’s constitutional responsibility to conduct elections using electoral wards. Instead, he asserted that the State Independent Electoral Commission is responsible for creating and re-delineating electoral wards.

Ariyo described INEC’s actions as a “total fraud” and called for a thorough investigation into the commission’s activities.

Supporting his claim, Ariyo pointed to a court affidavit submitted by Mr. Onyema Chika, a principal officer of INEC, before the Federal High Court in Benin. The affidavit, which was made public, outlines INEC’s constitutional limitations in the delineation process.

In paragraphs 12 and 13 of the affidavit, Onyema Chika deposed under oath:

“I know as a fact that the 1st Defendant (INEC) does not conduct elections using electoral wards. It is the State Independent Electoral Commission that structures electoral wards and is responsible for creating and re-delineating them.”

“I also know as a fact that as of the time the judgment of this Honorable Court was delivered on August 13, 2003, the power to delineate and re-delineate electoral wards had been taken away from the 1st Defendant by virtue of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and transferred to the State Independent Electoral Commission.”

Ariyo further pointed out that this statement by Onyema Chika, a senior executive officer at INEC, serves as a clear admission that the electoral body does not have the constitutional authority to carry out ward delineation.

In conclusion, Ariyo labeled INEC’s activities as fraudulent and called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to set up a panel of inquiry to investigate the events surrounding INEC’s proposed ward delineation in Warri Federal Constituency.