•The protesters
Some leaders from Warri federal constituency today staged a protest at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja.
The protesters carried various placards like ‘CVR today is a political fraud in Warri Federal Constituency,’ “Warri Federal Constituency, no ward, no units for CVR,” “INEC give us the final report,” among others.
They also want the electoral umpire to immediately release the final report of the Supreme Court-ordered delineation of electoral registration areas, wards, and polling units in the Warri federal constituency, reports Channels TV.
They also carried a huge banner bearing the map of Ijaws and Itsekiri communities in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State.
Among other things, the demonstrators are demanding an immediate stoppage to the ongoing Continuous Voter registration, arguing that the exercise was not done in accordance with the recently concluded delineation.
They also want the electoral umpire to immediately release the final report of the Supreme Court-ordered delineation of electoral registration areas, wards, and polling units in the Warri federal constituency.
According to them, the release and implementation of these records will help them to participate in the ongoing voter registration process.
The protest was in response to the commission’s delay in implementing a Supreme Court-ordered delineation of electoral wards and polling units in the Warri Federal Constituency.
The demonstrators, representing Warri North, Warri South, and Warri South West Local Government Areas, submitted a petition to INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, warning that the ongoing voter registration in the area without legitimate electoral structures violated their constitutional rights and the Supreme Court judgment delivered on December 2, 2022.
During the protest, community leaders submitted a petition to INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu. The petition, signed by 16 representatives, criticised the ongoing voter registration in the constituency without the proper electoral structures in place.
“We can no longer wait while our democratic rights, guaranteed by the constitution and reaffirmed by the Supreme Court judgment, are being eroded.
“INEC should immediately release and implement the report painstakingly embarked upon by stakeholders. We shall not idly stand by and watch our democratic rights and franchise fretted away,” the petition read in part.
The group expressed frustration over what they described as undue delays in finalising the process.
“We are fully abreast with the legal attempts and undue influences from various quarters to derail or truncate the process. It was your resilience and resolved determination that made it possible for the proposed registration area /wards and units to be publicly presented.
“It is this shared determination and resolve to do the right thing that has kept us patiently for the past five months, hoping that you will conclude the process before commencing a future electoral process through the instrumentality of the ongoing Voters’ Registration exercise in the Warri Federal Constituency, which is an affront to the judiciary.
“We decided to travel from Warri Federal constituency to draw your attention to our plight and to let you know that we will not allow any institutions or external influences and pressures to allow our inalienable rights to be petered away by those bent on confusing Warri Federal Consistency, Niger Delta Region, and by extension Nigeria.
“We will continue to occupy your premises until our fundamental human rights to vote and be voted for are restored to us with a clear direction and information on where and how we should participate in the ongoing exercise,” the petition stated.
