10 WARDS STRUCTURE IN WARRI SOUTH REMAINS BENCHMARK FOR ANY FUTURE WARD DELINEATION
The Itsekiri Interest Group after a press briefing at Merrick Lori Cultural Center at Ajaminmogha Road, Warri have issued strong warning to the INEC Commissioner of Delta State as well as the E.O of INEC in Warri South Local Government of the consequences of going against Court Order in the Federal High Court in 2003 and Federal Court of Appeal both in Benin that clearly declared the 12 ward structure that was done in 1997 illegal. Ward Delineation process as prescribed by the Constitution allows creation of new wards from existing wards with consideration of land mass and population not the merging of wards or transfer of wards cross Local Government Constituencies.
The Itsekiri Interest Group went further to highlight grey areas in the recent Supreme Court Judgement that compels INEC to conduct a fresh Ward Delineation.
1. The ward delineation is not done in isolation but simultaneously across the 774 local governments in Nigeria every 10 years.
2. The Supreme Court agreed that INEC is due for a fresh Ward Delineation.
3. The Supreme Court never took the formula for ward delineation from INEC. The rules for creation of new wards cannot be altered.
4. The Supreme Court never declared any other wards structure in use in Warri South outside the Legal 10 Wards Structure as approved benchmark for a fresh Delineation in Warri South.
5. INEC meeting with stakeholders never claimed that any tribe was marginalized so there will be creation of Wards in areas that qualify So Urhobos in Sapele, Uvwie, Ethiope West etc should not interract with INEC with the involvement of Itsekiri Community Leaders in the Local Governments.
6. There will be uniformity in Ward Creation so don’t expect to have more Wards than Itsekiri in Warri South, Warri North or Warri South West because all stakeholders will get an equal share.
Signed by
Gbubemi Awala
Chairman
Itsekiri Interest Group
Comdr Weyinmi Yalaju Secretary
Itsekiri interest group