Some Ijaw elders and youths on Thursday staged a solidarity rally at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja over the recent ward delineation in Warri, Delta state.
The protesters were from Gbaramatu, Egbema, Diebiri, and Isaba communities in the Warri federal constituency of Delta.
The solidarity walk follows the recent unveiling of the proposed delineated wards and polling units by INEC, after a supreme court judgment delivered on December 2, 2022.
On April 9, Some protesters shut down a 28,000 barrels per day (bpd) oil facility in Warri south-west LGA of Delta to register their displeasure against INEC’s delineation proposal.
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However, INEC said it had not yet taken a final decision on the delineation of wards in the constituency.
Speaking during the rally, David Reje, spokesperson of the Ijaw kingdoms, commended INEC for implementing the supreme court verdict ordering the delineation exercise.
“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,” Reje said.
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“You committed yourself to the rule of law and the principles of good governance and you took it upon yourself to engage all the stakeholders of the nationalities of the Ijaws, the Itsekiris, and the Urhobos.”
Reje, who dismissed the claim that INEC did not consult stakeholders before starting the ward delineation exercise, said the commission engaged the ethnic leaders.
He urged other parties involved to work together to build an environment that champions political democracy, adding that all parties involved gave their consent before the ward delineation.
Receiving the protesters, Abdullahi Zuru, an INEC official, thanked the group for its solidarity with the commission, noting that INEC would always uphold the rule of law.
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“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,” Zuru said.
