The Ijaw and Urhobo ethnic groups of Warri federal constituency say they will boycott the ongoing continuous voter registration (CVR) exercise, insisting that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must first implement a supreme court judgment ordering fresh delineation of wards and polling units in the area.
On Tuesday, protesters from Warri north, Warri south and Warri south-west LGAs — which make up the constituency — marched to INEC headquarters in Abuja carrying placards that read: “Warri Federal Constituency: No Ward, No Units for CVR”, “CVR Today is Political Fraud in Warri Federal Constituency” and “INEC, Give Us the Final Report.”
Speaking on behalf of the groups, David Reje, of the Egbema clan in Warri North, accused INEC of undermining their constitutional rights by conducting the voter registration exercise under a “defunct arrangement” already nullified by the supreme court.
Reje said despite INEC’s field exercise and stakeholder engagements which produced a new delineation report in line with the court’s directive, the commission has failed to release and implement the final document.
Advertisement
“Our patience and cooperation are being taken for granted as machinery has been set in place to disenfranchise us from participating in future elections,” he said.
“We can no longer wait while our democratic rights guaranteed by the constitution and reaffirmed by the supreme court judgment are being eroded.”
The protesters said they had travelled from Warri to Abuja to draw attention to their plight, warning they might be forced to occupy the commission’s premises if their demands were ignored.
Advertisement
They described the protest as the “second phase of their non-violent struggle to restore political dignity” and cautioned that they might not be able to contain growing agitation in the constituency.
Their demands include the immediate release and implementation of the delineation report and suspension of the CVR in Warri federal constituency until the new electoral arrangements are in place.
Responding to the protest, Abdullahi Abdulzuru, INEC national commissioner, assured the groups that their concerns would be addressed.
“I have listened carefully to your demands and read through your submission. I will tender the documents to the commission,” he said.
Advertisement
Abdulzuru commended the groups for adopting a peaceful approach and reiterated that INEC is a law-abiding body with no intention of disenfranchising any Nigerians.
“As a commission, we are committed to upholding the law. There is no intention, as far as INEC is concerned, to disenfranchise anybody from any exercise. We will get back to you, be rest assured,” he added.
