Itsekiri leaders. |
Eminent Itsekiri leaders have voiced strong objections against the proposed execution of the delimitation and review of Warri Federal Constituency by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in a press conference convened in Warri, Delta State, April 19.
The
leaders, in a statement signed by Chief Robinson Ariyo, the Egogo of Warri
Kingdom, on behalf of the concerned Itsekiri leaders highlighted concerns of
selective justice, gross disrespect for court judgments, marginalization,
discrimination, and oppression by INEC.
The
leaders began by referencing a 2022 Supreme Court judgment (SC/413/2016) which
ordered the review of Wards in Warri Federal Constituency. They emphasized that
the judgment was based on constitutional provisions, mandating INEC to review
state constituencies every 10 years. However, they noted that INEC's response
to the judgment had been swift yet superficial, lacking proper adherence to
court orders.
Central
to their argument was the contention over the ward structure in Warri South
Constituencies 1 & 2. They alleged that INEC had maintained an illegal ward
structure for over two decades despite court rulings declaring it
unconstitutional. The leaders cited various legal proceedings and judgments
dating back to 1997, where INEC was instructed to adhere to the original
10-ward structure but had failed to comply.
Furthermore,
they accused INEC of manipulating stakeholder meetings and ignoring fundamental
rights, pointing to discrepancies in meeting minutes and INEC's failure to
address longstanding legal issues. The leaders highlighted INEC's repeated
promises to comply with court orders, which had yet to be fulfilled.
The
conference also criticized INEC's decision to isolate Warri for review, despite
constitutional obligations for constituency delimitation nationwide. They
argued that singling out Warri for review was unjust and ignored the presence
of Itsekiri people in other areas.
In
conclusion, the Itsekiri leaders urged INEC to dismantle the illegal ward
structure and engage in a fair and transparent review process. They warned of
potential further legal action if INEC failed to address their concerns
adequately.
The
press conference saw the participation of prominent figures from the community,
including; Ojoye Oma Eyewuoma, the Ologbotsere of Warri, Ojoye Johnson
Amatserunleghe, the Iyatserere of Warri, and Ojoye Gabriel Awala, the Uwangue
of Warri.
Others
are Ojoye Anthony Onuwaje, the Otsodi of Warri, Ojoye Brown Mene, the
Ogwa-Olusan of Warri and Ojoye Robinson Ariyo, the Egogo of Warri.
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