Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has begun a fresh delineation of electoral wards and polling units in the Warri federal constituency, Delta State.
Over 50 persons, comprising technical officers and support staff from national headquarters and state office, are already on the ground, preparatory to moving into the three local government areas, to commence fieldwork from Wednesday 10th -27th July 2024.
The move is to implement a ruling of the Supreme Court, ordering the electoral umpire to reassign wards and polling units across Warri South, Warri South West and Warri North local government areas.
Flagging off the delineation process on Monday in Warri, Prof Yakubu Mahmood, INEC national chairman, said the commission was ready, and the three ethnic groups were prepared.
Represented by Prof Rhoda Gumus, he said, “Right now, we are meeting on how to proceed. I am representing the national chairman. The three focal persons of the ethnic groups are meeting with us.”
Speaking on the theme, “Stakeholders Meeting for the Implementation of the Supreme Court judgment on Fresh Delineation of Wards and Polling Units in Warri Federal Constituency,” he highlighted the active engagement of ethnic group representatives in shaping the delineation process.
“The way forward is that we are ready. We came as a result of our chairman sending us.
I am representing our chairman,” he said.
Addressing attendees at the meeting, the Delta State resident electoral commissioner, Sir Etekamba Umoren, underscored the meeting’s importance in complying with the Supreme Court’s directive on electoral boundaries.
“Today’s gathering marks the commencement of implementing the Supreme Court’s ruling on the fresh delineation of the Warri Federal Constituency,” he affirmed.
“The choice of Warri South as the venue of this stakeholders’ meeting is not only premised on the fact that Warri South LGA is the headquarters of Warri Federal Constituency but also one of the key agreements by the focal/contact persons representing the three ethnic nationalities of the Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo, at a meeting held in INEC state office, Asaba, on Friday, April 29, 2024 and accepted by the commission.
“Hence, we are gathered here today for this all-important meeting. “It is only fitting and proper that stakeholder engagement preceding the mobilisation of the technical staff of the commission ought to be within the precinct of the theatre of operations, in this instance, the three local government areas that make up the constituency.
“It is also worth noting that the calibre of representation in this meeting from the commission’s headquarters, Abuja, signposts the commission’s readiness to commence fieldwork on the fresh delineation of the constituency in compliance with the Supreme Court Judgment,” he stated.
Many political leaders and representatives of Ijaw, Urhobo, and Itsekiri ethnic nationalities were at the meeting.