By Ese Adagbra
The Urhobos of Warri under the auspices of Warri Urhobo National Congress (WUNC) in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State have urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to as a matter of urgency and national interest facilitate the conduct of fresh delineation of Electoral Wards/Poling Units in Warri South Local Government Area.
This is contained in a press statement made available to journalists in Warri and signed by the trio of Chief Westham Adehor, Chairman; Chief Isaac Emifoniye, Vice Chairman; Olorogun Victor Okumagba, Secretary and Hon. Mark Ikpuri, Ex-Officio.
The group in the statement urged the nation’s electoral body to rely on the 2006 Census and the recent Enumeration Area Demarcation Data of the National Population Commission NPC for the delineation before the 2023 polls.
The group hinged their action on the Supreme Court Judgement delivered on 2, December 2022, based on an Appeal filed by Honourable George Tinimini and 9, others in the suit marked: SC/413/2016.
An excerpt of the judgement reads thus:
“An Order of this Honourable Court compelling the Defendant ( INEC) Its Agents, Servants, Privies, and assign to conduct a fresh delineation of all that Electoral Wards/Poling Units for Warri South, Warri North and Warri South West Local Government Areas in Warri Federal Constituency.”
They, therefore, declared that the recent judgement delivered by the Supreme Court has taken precedence over all other cases/judgements in the past.
They listed the cases/judgements as the one pending in the Federal High Court Warri, between Chief Isaac Emifoniye and 11 others vs INEC and Chief Joseph Otumara and 9 others as well as the Court of Appeal judgements on the same subject matter of 10 and 12, Including the recent judgement delivered by Justice Okon Abang of Federal High Court Warri, are now academic exercise.
