South-west group asks Tinubu to invite INEC chairman over Warri delineation saga

Pan Yoruba groups, under the aegis of Alliance for Yoruba Democratic Movements (AYDM), have urged President Bola Tinubu to probe the delineation activities in Warri federal constituency.

BACKGROUND

On April 8, some protesters in Delta state shut down a 28,000 barrels per day (bpd) oil facility in Warri south-west LGA over the proposed ward delineation of the Warri federal constituency by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Afterwards, INEC said no action had been taken on the exercise, as the protest gained momentum in the LGA.

“Contrary to the speculations making the rounds, the Commission is yet to take a final decision on the delineation of Wards in the Warri Federal Constituency,” the electoral umpire said.

Delineation refers to the process of dividing or mapping out geographical areas into constituencies, wards, or polling units for electoral purposes.

‘INEC MURDERED SLEEP’

During a press conference held on Tuesday in Lagos, Popola Ajayi, the secretary general of AYDM, implored Tinubu to summon Mahmood Yakubu, INEC chairman, over the controversy.

Ajayi said Yakubu needs to clarify the commission’s actions.

“INEC recently murdered sleep in Delta state when they disregarded all the records in their archives and pronouncements from competent courts of jurisdiction in Nigeria, by going ahead to make public a proposal for the new delineation of wards in Warri federal constituency, even against pending court cases and procedures where they completely sold out the Itsekiri homeland to the ijaws,” he alleged.

“We call on President Bola Tinubu and the National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu to immediately intervene to ensure justice and fair play for the Itsekiri people.

“This is as simple as obeying all the supreme court decisions for the past 50 years won by Itsekiri.

“We call on the DSS, NSA, EFCC, and ICPC to be alive to their responsibilities to probe Prof. Rhoda Gumus and all the INEC officials associated with this.

“We call on President Bola Tinubu to invite Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the INEC chairman, who superintended over this exercise against the Itsekiri people.

“Let him explain to Nigerians why the Itsekiri areas have been shrinking while the Ijaw and Urhobo areas are increasing astronomically.”

‘WARRI LG BALKANISED’

Monoyo Edon, a Niger Delta youth leader, said the re-organisation has led to a significant reduction in the number of polling units in Itsekiri.

“The previous Warri local government has been broken down into Warri south, Warri south-west and Warri north local governments,” he said.

“How come INEC, from what we have, from 444 units in the old Warri, to now shrinking the Itsekiri land?

“Mind you, they had said this is the final document. It was the pressure and protest by the Itsekiri nation that has made them say it is a proposal.

“We have no confidence in the INEC people who committed an infraction.”