We're Discussing With NSA Ribadu in Warri Federal Constituency Ward Delineation Crisis

The assurance was given during a peaceful rally by members of the Agbarha Warri Kingdom and Okere Urhobo Kingdom at INEC's Headquarters in Abuja.

The protest was in response to the commission's delay in implementing the Supreme Court judgement which ordered delineation of electoral wards and polling units in the Warri Federal Constituency.

All Facts Newspaper reports that INEC had on April 4 presented a preliminary report of the delineation of wards and polling units in Warri Federal Constituency to representatives of the Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo ethnic nationalities in Asaba.

The commission allocated new wards across the three local government areas in the constituency.

On Wednesday, the protesters demanded the immediate release of the final delineation report in compliance with the 2022 Supreme Court judgment.

During the protest, community leaders submitted a petition to INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan.

The protesters carried placards with inscriptions such as "INEC release the true report,ÔÇØ "Urhobos of Warri are majority in Warri South LGA,ÔÇØ "INEC must obey the law,ÔÇØ and "INEC should follow the order of the Supreme Court.ÔÇØ

Addressing the protesters, INEC National Commissioner, Prof. Abdullahi Zuru, said the matter had become a top priority for the Commission, revealing that the INEC Chairman was already engaging the NSA to find a resolution acceptable to all parties.

"Thank you most sincerely for the peaceful approach you have adopted on this issue. On behalf of the Commission, let me assure you that this is on the top of the agenda of the Commission. In fact, the Chairman is already talking with the Office of the National Security Adviser to ensure that these matters are resolvedÔÇØ, Zuru said.

According to him, INEC was equally concerned about ensuring that every eligible community fully participates in the next round of elections and assured that a position would soon be taken on the matter.

The leader of the Warri Urhobo delegation, Chief
Adehor Westham, said they were at INEC to demand the release of the delineation report, stressing that the Supreme Court had in 2022 ordered the Commission to correct injustices in the ward structure of Warri Federal Constituency.

He explained that although they agreed not to disrupt the 2023 general election after INEC appealed that the delineation process was ongoing, the delay in releasing the final report was now creating uncertainty ahead of political party ward congresses.

He said INEC had earlier visited Warri South and presented a preliminary report which allocated nine wards to Urhobo communities across the Agbarha-Warri and Okere-Urhobo kingdoms.

Westham said the figure did not reflect their population strength.

"If the wards in Warri South are to be 20, the Okere-Urhobo and Agbarha-Warri kingdoms should not get less than 13 or 14 wards. After the preliminary report, they said there was a little problem and the matter was taken to the National Security Adviser. Officials from the Office of the Attorney-General also visited our communities,ÔÇØ he said.

He also raised concerns over the February 18 ward congress of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and questioner which ward structure would be used if INEC failed to release the final delineation report.

"Which ward are they going to use? Is it the wards the Supreme Court has nullified? Are they trying to disenfranchise us? If they do not announce it before the congress, we may go to court because you cannot disobey the highest court in the landÔÇØ, he warned.

A member of the delegation,
Chief Louis Okumagba, said INEC had physically visited all communities in Warri South, including Urhobo, Itsekiri and Ijaw areas, during the delineation fieldwork, insisting there was nothing to fear if the commission released the final report.