Urhobo Leader Faults Data Used By INEC In Warri Constituency Delineation.
I am one of three focal persons representing the Urobo ethnic nationality in the Warri Federal Constituency. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has completed the necessary work, and we urge them to release the final report and proposals as they have previously done. This delineation was conducted with the support of two ethnic groups: the Chakiris, the Robots, and the Jaws.
There is no reason to suggest that INEC should delineate the Warri Federal Constituency, as that is simply not what has been acceptable. If there were to be any protests, it would come from us Robos in Warri, not against the interests of the Shakiri people.
Let me offer two instances regarding the Shakiri people. Our decision aligns with the Supreme Court’s statement that there are fictitious terms and units within the Warri Federal Constituency. The Supreme Court instructed a review of the delineation. If you observe the elections from 2015 and 2019, they confirm that the current delineation does not correspond with the population or past voting trends and patterns in this area. The Supreme Court condemned the initial data used for the delineation as incorrect.
There may be disagreements regarding your interpretation of the Supreme Court judgment. For instance, the Prime Minister of the Warri Kingdom has publicly opposed the current delineation, warning that it could lead to significant unrest in Delta State, particularly in the Warri area. Some argue that your interpretation is flawed and fails to reflect historical voting patterns or the actual population, asserting that it disregards the will of the Shakiri people and caters instead to the interests of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), which is involved in the delineation process.
It has been suggested that some individuals may have aligned themselves with powerful figures to instigate this situation. If that is the case, one could argue that these same individuals were satisfied with the initial delineation created in 1996 and had not raised any concerns until now. This situation reveals a challenge in which areas with larger populations are allocated smaller constituencies, while areas with smaller populations receive larger ones. This discrepancy has led some to take legal action, claiming the arrangement is unfair, and the court agreed. Consequently, they instructed a reevaluation of the data and statistics, which had been deemed incorrect—contradicting the notion that certain groups hold a monopoly over the Warri Federal seat.
Have you heard Amani's views on this matter? Is this a form of subjugation of the Shakiri people? Yes, it is. When you carefully consider the population dynamics, it becomes evident that the Shakiri are not adequately represented. Data from recent elections disputes previous claims; historically, the Shakiri in the three Warri areas produced approximately 270,000 votes in each election. However, during the last election with the new voting technology, they collectively produced only around 15,000 votes. This disparity indicates the manipulation of the previous figures.
Are you concerned about the potential crisis this situation might provoke? How do you think it can be resolved? Pers doesn’t foresee any significant crisis, although tensions are rising. While there is currently calm, protests from certain security groups are a concerning factor. It's important to remember that delineation is a legal process intended for the people, not for political manipulation.
As an elder in the Urobo community, I believe the best way forward was outlined two weeks ago when we met with the National Security Adviser. We urged INEC to finalize the delineation process, as that is the only solution people are seeking. Calls for delineation are not feasible; what is done is done. In the past, when dissatisfaction arose from the delineation in 1996, those who were unhappy sought recourse through the legal system.