Constituency delineation: Protesters storm INEC, insists process transparent, free, fair

From Romanus Ugwu, AbujaScores of Ijaw elders and youths, yesterday, grounded activities at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Abuja, in support of the delineation of wards in the Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State. The protesters commended and urged the electoral umpire to implement the judgment of the Supreme Court. googletag.

cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1718806029429-0'); }); INEC has, however, declared that contrary to speculations, it was yet to take a final decision on the delineation of wards in the Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State.



The Commission, in a statement by Sam Olumekun, National Commissioner and Chairman, Information & Voter Education Committee, appealed to all stakeholders in the constituency to refrain from engaging in any activity capable of threatening the peace and security of the area.The spokesperson assured that the commission would continue to operate based on fairness, equity, the rule of law and in full consultation with all stakeholders. $(document).

ready(function(){(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({})}); “We urge representatives of the various stakeholders to submit their observations on the draft report which will serve as the basis for further engagement on the matter.

“Meanwhile, we appeal to all stakeholders in the constituency to refrain from engaging in any activity that could threaten the peace and security of the area. The Commission will continue to operate based on fairness, equity, the rule of law and in full consultation with all stakeholders,” the statement read.Bearing placards with various inscription, leaders of the protesters described the Supreme Court ruling as an emancipation of the Ijaw ethnic nationalities in Warri, Delta State, stressing that the electoral umpire has discharged itself creditably.

The Ijaws during the solidarity rally lamented that for over 29 years, they had been victims of “ward allocation”, noting that the commission has done right in implementing the Supreme Court judgment.Spokesman of the protesters, David Reje, also dismissed reports that all the stakeholders were not consulted before INEC kick-started the delineation.Addressing the National Commissioners, Abdullahi Zuru and Malam Mohammed Haruna, who received them, Reje said: “Why we have come here is to appreciate you, to thank you for the good work you have done since 2022, after the Supreme Court judgment.

You never jettisoned the judgment. $(document).ready(function(){(adsbygoogle = window.

adsbygoogle || []).push({})}); “You committed yourself to the rule of law and the principles of good governance and you really took it upon yourself to engage all the stakeholders of the nationalities of the Ijaws, the Itsekiris, and the Urhobos.“You formed a committee, you went down, you were engaging them differently, and they were heavily represented by their leaders and their traditional rulers and at the end of it, you made out time to go to the communities of all the nationalities of the Itsekiri, the Ijaws, and the Urhobos.

“And by your fieldwork, you have been able to come out with a proposed document somehow, a proposed report. And we found out that some people are trying to become funny as if they were not involved in the whole process. We were all involved in the whole process, in Warri, in Asaba, and in everything.

And everybody has given their assent to the process to be carried out.“But I was so surprised from protests from some corners, particularly from our Itsekiri brothers, as if they were taking it on their back. Gone are the days when wards were allocated.

Today, wards are given diligently through diligent ward delineation process, which is first of all carried out.“So we have come to appreciate you, and to let the public know that you never did any job in the classroom, or in the bedroom, or in the room, the private room. It was a public work, a public assignment, demonstrated by mostly, going through the creeks, or the nooks and crannies of the three areas.

“Today, we have left our Egypt of political slavery to our promised land of political emancipation and political identity and dignity. Nobody will dictate a candidate for us, for councilors. Today, we have gotten our freedom.

We have been set to make the world to know that the people who they termed minority are the true majority, which has been confirmed, which has been revealed to the whole world. The majority has come on board. The majority has come on the stream.

$(document).ready(function(){(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).

push({})}); “The majority has come for their political emancipation and political sovereignty. Our own is not to dominate anybody. Our own is not to set somebody aside.

Let s all cooperate, work together as Nigerians, as brothers and sisters in a federal constituency to make sure that we build an environment that is politically endowed with the beauty of political democracy and freedom,” Reje said.Addressing the protesters, National Commissioner, Abdullahi Zuru, thanked them over the peaceful nature of their solidarity match.He said; “We want to thank you most sincerely for coming here as one of the major stakeholders in this discussion.

Thank you for appreciating what the Commission has done so far.“We want to assure you as a Commission, we are dedicated to doing what is right as far as democracy in Nigeria is concerned. And God willing, we will ensure that democracy at the end of the day is what decides everything that we do”.

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