WARRI DELINEATION: Fright as Itsekiri, Ijaw/Urhobo yell discordant tunes on INEC recount

By Egufe Yafugborhi & Ochuko Akuopha

Honest Nationwide Electoral Commission, INEC, met Warri Federal Constituency’s stakeholders in Asaba, Would possibly presumably 20.

The diagram: Discontinuance lingering war, alarm over wards delineation.

The timing and shortness of be taught about to the invited Warri Ijaws, Itsekiris and Urhobos appeared intentional.

Asaba was once strangely collected that day.

Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and utterly different officeholders had deserted the Delta Assert capital, away of their respective communities, fixated on APC primaries to make a choice flag bearers earlier than the 2027 Assert Assembly elections.

“We had been all in our villages partaking in the APC primaries, however then the Asaba gathering was once this kind of sensitive one. We couldn’t afford to finish away. We needed to send representatives”, explained a representative of 1 of the ethnic groups.

An INEC reliable added, “Even we had been so busy, most team additionally on the discipline monitoring the APC primaries right thru the vote casting home, yet that timing was once most productive for the meeting.

“Right here’s one utter that has at all times provoked solid emotions. We wanted to ease the stress, let most productive key representatives support, to withhold a ways from commotion on the INEC Asaba place of work venue.”

Tale Unboxed

INEC had earlier launched a preliminary recount. Ijaws and Urhobos embraced it, Itsekiris rejected. All sides had waited anxiously for the last recount.

The INEC Delta Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Sir Etekamba Udo Umoren, joined by a Supervising Nationwide Commissioner, unveiled it.

Current outcomes: INEC created one extra tell constituency every for Warri South West and Warri North LGAs.

All three Warri LGAs now contain two constituencies every.

The Commission proposed grouping Warri South West and Warri North into one Federal Constituency. Warri South LGA then turns trusty into a stand-on my own Federal Constituency, field to constitutional approval.

Ward breakdown: Warri North I, Itsekiri, has 10 Wards. Warri North II, Ijaw will get 10 Wards. Warri South-West II, Itsekiri, 7 Wards. Warri South-West II, Ijaws, now having 13 Wards.

Metropolis Warri South has 20 Wards. Urhobos contain 9, Itsekiris 8 and Ijaws 3.

We reject fresh proposals – Itsekiri

Sir A.S Mene is Secretary, Itsekiri Leaders of Thoughts (ILoT). He acknowledged, “ILoT rejects the fresh proposed fresh delineation of wards, polling items, tell constituencies and one extra federal constituency in Warri bobbing up from the fieldwork and GIS mapping completed by INEC, launched twentieth Would possibly presumably in Asaba.

“Whereas we welcome the introduction of two extra tell constituencies and one federal constituency, the devil is in the principle points/composition. The composition relies on the sooner rejected spurious info launched by INEC 4th April 2025 at Asaba.

“Our effect apart, on firm conviction, is that the exercise, as for the time being completed, doesn’t be aware provisions of the 1999 Structure of Nigeria (as amended), the Electoral Act 2026 and INEC’s delight in guidelines for delineation of wards and polling items.

“Whereas we acknowledge the judgment of the Supreme Court in Swimsuit No. SC/143/2016 directing INEC to conduct a fresh delineation in Warri South, Warri South-West and Warri North LGAs, we must clearly tell that the Court did no longer expose existing wards, polling items, or voter register as faux or fictitious.

“We’re deeply concerned that INEC, in route of its discipline operations and GIS mapping, looks to contain exceeded its constitutional mandate by partaking in activities open air its electoral tasks, together with identification and recognition of communities, demographic interpretations, and territorial classifications.

“We serve that INEC’s characteristic is strictly administrative and electoral, no longer ethnographic or territorial. We extra reject any strive and depend upon unofficial inhabitants estimates, aerial mapping interpretations, or artificially created community constructions as foundation for electoral delineation.

“Any route of that departs from constitutionally identified info and proper electoral procedures undermines the integrity and credibility of the democratic route of.

“We additionally design terminate into memoir it fundamental to correct the spurious myth that Ijaw and Urhobo ethnic groups in Warri Federal Constituency contain been denied political illustration.

“The political history of the constituency clearly demonstrates that every and every ethnic groups contain continued to contain vital political offices right thru Warri South, Warri South-West and Warri North LGAs.

“Furthermore, findings offered by honest geographic info and predicament experts exhibit fundamental inconsistencies in the proposed polling unit coordinates launched by INEC.

“In holding with these findings, several polling items had been allegedly located open air their designated LGAs whereas others reportedly plunge within rivers, swamps, forests, Edo Assert, Ondo Assert and utterly different non-liveable locations.

“These findings raise serious questions referring to the credibility, legality, and technical integrity of the exercise.

“Accordingly, we name on Federal Authorities to entirely investigate conduct of the delineation exercise and serve responsible any officers learned to contain compromised integrity of the technique.

“We contain already submitted formal objections to INEC and the Office of the Nationwide Security Adviser, and we seek info from those issues to be treated with the seriousness they deserve.

“We remain committed to equity, constitutional repeat, justice, and aloof coexistence of all ethnic nationalities right thru the Warri Federal Constituency.”

It’s a ways closing recount, no longer proposal – Ijaws, Urhobos

Eric Omare, a lawyer on the case, replied, “Someone relating to the result of the lastest Asaba meeting as proposal wasn’t display. Ijaws had been display. I was once display. It’s no longer a proposal. It’s a ways INEC’s closing delineation recount, to be completed with instantaneous build”.

At Effurun, a joint gathering of Ijaws and Urhobos welcomed the recount, warning in opposition to any alteration. Chief Victor Okumagba be taught the joint effect apart. Alaowei Denbo-Denbofa Owerkpodor, Dr. Paul Bebenimibo and Chief John Edgar Eranvor additionally signed for the Ijaws and Urhobos.

Okumagba acknowledged INEC’s stream would finish decades of stress in Warri Federal Constituency. He urged political events to serve primaries for the fresh seats earlier than 2027.

“The utter of the Warri Federal Constituency over the years has been lack of political home for fogeys from utterly different ethnic nationalities to participate in the political route of. This gave upward thrust to a sense of oppression and political alienation”, he pressured out.

He added that the fresh constructing presents all groups equal alternative.

“We’re retaining copies of the last recount of the delineation exercise.

“We propose, in the hobby of peace, that there wants to be no alteration from any quarter, otherwise this couldn’t be too luscious for the system and the authorities of Nigeria,” Okumagba warned.

Omare had extra clarified, “Not like the tell constituencies, INEC wants constitutional ratification earlier than it’s going to add and set off the fresh Federal Constituency.

“There are 360 Federal Constituencies in Nigeria as contained in the structure. So if INEC has to build extra one, it requires constitutional amendment.

“So INEC has proposed it. They’ll put up it to the Nationwide Assembly to amend it in the structure to build Warri Federal Constituency II.

“The 2 fresh tell constituencies are within INEC’s energy to set off right away. What the structure says is that a tell mustn’t contain more than a explicit quantity.

“To this level because the amount created by INEC under the circumstance aren’t beyond basically the most restrict field by the regulation, the Commission can add more.”

If completed, the fresh association will shift political energy amongst Ijaws, Itsekiris and Urhobos in Warri. The depend upon stays. Will there be amicable resolution?.

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