The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has vowed to delineate the Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State.
This may not be unconnected to the Supreme Court-ordered delineation of the constituency delivered on December 2, 2022.
The INEC National Commissioner representing Delta, Edo and Cross River states, Prof. Rhoda Gumus, stated this in Asaba at an expanded stakeholders meeting, promising that the interests of all ethnic nationalities will be accommodated during the exercise.
The stakeholders resolved that the exercise would be carried out according to the Supreme Court judgement and that representatives of ethnic nationalities should commence the sensitisation of their people on the forthcoming field delineation process.
Gumus said the commission had entertained submissions by political and traditional representatives from the federal constituency, which would form the basis of agreement for the execution of the directive from the Supreme Court.
“We have asked them to submit their inputs, which we are going to also use in doing our groundwork,” Gumus said.
The member representing Warri federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Chief Thomas Ereyitomi, described the Supreme Court judgement as a win for all the people of the federal constituency.
“Warri federal constituency is a big federal constituency that is expanding daily. The delineation will favour the Itsekiri; it will favour the Ijaw; and it will favour the Urhobo. It is a win-win situation for everybody,” he assured.
Chief Victor Okumagba, representing the Urhobo nationality, a delegate from the Ijaw group, Chief Monday Keme and Chief Robinson Ariyo, who spoke on behalf of the Itsekiri people, agreed they would go with INEC to visit the areas involved and that INEC should do justice to the matter.
A deputy director from INEC headquarters, Kehinde Mustapha, explained to the gathering the criteria and guidelines for the fresh delineation of wards and polling units, features of the electoral units and considerations for the establishment of a polling unit.
