Hundreds of Ijaw indigenes, comprising both elders and youths from the Gbaramatu, Egbema, Diebiri, and Isaba communities, staged a peaceful demonstration on Thursday at the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Abuja.
Their mission: to express gratitude and support for the commission’s recent ward delineation in the Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State.
The demonstrators wielded placards bearing messages of appreciation, hailing the delineation exercise as a transparent and just process that aligns with a Supreme Court ruling.
They said the move represents the end of prolonged political marginalization faced by the Ijaw people in the area.
David Reje, speaking on behalf of the Ijaw kingdoms during the protest, applauded the commission for following due process and for consulting with key stakeholders across various ethnic groups, including the Ijaw, Itsekiri, and Urhobo communities.
He emphasized that traditional rulers and community leaders had been actively engaged in the process before the final delineation structure was made public.
“Why we have come here is to appreciate you, to thank you for the good work you have done since 2022, after the Supreme Court judgment. You never jettisoned the judgment.
“Today, we have left our Egypt of political slavery to our promised land of political emancipation and political identity and dignity. Nobody will dictate a candidate for us, for councilors.
“Today, we have got our freedom. We have been set to make the world to know that the people who they termed minority are the true majority, which has been confirmed, which has been revealed to the whole world. The majority has come on board. The majority has come on the stream,” Reje said.
Welcoming the group, INEC National Commissioners Prof. Abdullahi Zuru and Malam Mohammed Haruna commended the peaceful nature of the protest and reassured them of the commission’s dedication to democratic values.
“We want to thank you most sincerely for coming here as one of the major stakeholders in this discussion. Thank you for appreciating what the Commission has done so far.
“We want to assure you as a Commission, we are dedicated to doing what is right as far as democracy in Nigeria is concerned. And God willing, we will ensure that democracy at the end of the day is what decides everything that we do,” Zuru said.
The new delineation plan, unveiled in Asaba on April 5, proposes a revised ward distribution across the Warri Federal Constituency. Warri North is now divided into 18 wards, 10 designated for Ijaw communities and 8 for the Itsekiri.
Warri South-West will have 19 wards, with Ijaw holding 14 and Itsekiri 5. In Warri South, the wards are allocated as follows: Ijaw 3, Itsekiri 8, and Urhobo 9.
However, in a separate development on the same day, INEC responded to mounting public concerns over the delineation proposal, clarifying that the new structure is still in draft form.
This was contained in a statement issued by Sam Olumekun, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee.
The commission emphasized that no final decision had been reached and called on stakeholders to provide feedback to guide further deliberations.
“Meanwhile, we appeal to all stakeholders in the constituency to refrain from engaging in any activity that could threaten the peace and security of the area. The Commission will continue to operate based on fairness, equity, the rule of law and in full consultation with all stakeholders,” the statement added.
