Ward Redelineation : Urhobos, Ijaws Call INEC To Implement Supreme Court Judgement

By Ambrose Ologide

The Warri indigenous Urhobos and their Ijaw counterparts have called on the Independent Electoral Commission ( INEC) to implement the Supreme Court judgement on redelineation of electoral units and wards in the Warri Federal Constituency.

Scores of the combined people of Agbarha Warri and Okere Urhobo Kingdoms staged a peaceful protest in their areas in Warri metropolis which included: Edjeba,Otovwodo ( Agbassa ) , Igbudu, Ogunu and Okurode popularly known as Ekurede Urhobo ( in Agbarha Warri Kingdom) and Okumagba Estate, Okumagba Layout and Okumagba Avenue ( in Okere Urhobo Kingdom)as they carried placards to back their call.

The Chairman of Agbarha Warri community of Edjeba, Comrade Oscar Tujele complained that the Warri Urhobos were shortchanged under the present ward delineation of wards in Warri South Local Government Area.

The beaded youthful chairman of Edjeba Community also complained that the existing Edjeba Ward 10 was over populated and that the College of Education Warri, Shell Development Petroleum Company ( SPDC) , Delta Broadcasting Service ( DBS ) Government House Annex and scores of multi national companies are located in Edjeba Ward 10 with huge population of persons of voting age.

The Vice Chairman of Okere Urhobo Development Movement, Comrade Efe Opogen spoke in the same vein, as he stated that the entire kingdom of Okere Urhobo has only two federal wards .

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He therefore called for the immediate redelineation of electoral units and wards in Warri Federal Constituency.

The President of Agbarha Warri League, Mr Joseph Ugbejevun who spoke to our correspondent, noted that it is a retrogressive mind that will kick against the exercise.

“People are happily agitating for creation of more electoral units and wards owing to population explosion.

” It is therefore unimaginable for any person to oppose the redelineation of electoral units and wards in the Warri Federal Constituency.,” he added.

An Ijaw activist, Jonah Oboku explained that the Ijaws went to court based on the alleged margilization of the Ijaws in respect of delineation of delineation of wards in the Warri Federal Constituency and that they got the Supreme Court judgement.

He also complained that the Ijaws were more populated in both Warri North and Warri South West local government areas yet they have lesser number of electoral units and wards in the two local government areas.

Oboku therefore expressed optimism that the redelineation exercise will address the alleged injustice against the Ijaws in the said local government areas.

All those who spoke assured that the exercise will be peaceful and that majority of people in the constituency were in favour of it.