The Ijaw National Congress (INC) worldwide says the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is acting within its constitutional mandate in the Warri ward delineation exercise.
By Deborah Coker
The Ijaw National Congress (INC) worldwide says the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is acting within its constitutional mandate in the Warri ward delineation exercise.
Prof. Benjamin Okaba, Global President of INC worldwide said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Abuja on Saturday.
Okaba was reacting to the call for the cancellation of the ongoing delineation of Warri Federal Constituency by the Oodua Peoples’ Congress (OPC).
He noted that there was no reason for INEC to discontinue the exercise as the electoral body was compelled by the rule of law to carry out the delineation.
According to him, as a matter of fact, INEC is compelled by the Rule of Law in consonance with the dictates of the Supreme Court and has so acted within its constitutional mandate so far.
“It must be made abundantly clear that, the ongoing delineation is not done by choice, but by compulsion, having been ordered by the Supreme Court, the highest court of the land to do so before the next elections.
“Moreover, INEC, as empowered by the Nigerian Constitution, is carrying out this delineation exercises based on empirical population, demographics and dynamics, administrative demands, and national interest.
“The insinuation that the Ijaw nation is pressuring INEC to favour its interests is not only false but deliberately misleading. If anything, the OPC are the ones acting to pressure the INEC to abandon a task, so ordered by the Supreme Court.
“We must be reminded that INEC would have committed Contempt of Court should it give in to these blackmails and discontinue the exercise.”
The INC global president also debunked the notions of land seizure in the exercise.
“The facts are clear for all to see. The INEC visited every community to determine both the ownership and occupants before commencing the delineation exercise after rounds of stakeholders’ meetings,” he said.
Okaba said that the INC was however disappointed by the call of the OPC on the INEC and President Bola Tinubu to order a discontinuation of the Warri delineation.
He said that while any Nigerian or non-Nigerian could express his or her opinion on any National matter, the OPC lacked the moral and constitutional standing to interfere in the internal issues of the Ijaw, Itsekiri, and Urhobo people of Delta.
According to him, this is because matters involving our communities are deeply rooted in local history and should not be politicised or misrepresented by external bodies.