On Monday, April 7, a well-known Itsekiri group, the Association for the Promotion of Peace and Development in Itsekiri Oil and Gas Communities, spoke out against a proposal from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
They said the report about new ward boundaries in the Warri Federal Constituency was unfair and showed bias, accusing INEC of trying to “shortchange” the Itsekiri people.
Princess Grace Fregene, the president of the group, said that this was another example of the Itsekiri people being treated unfairly by the Nigerian government, despite their important role in the country’s development.
She said, “It is surprising, for example, that in Warri South Local Government Area, an already existing legally recognized 10-ward structure comprising eight wards for the Itsekiri and two for the Urhobo, with no Ijaw ward from inception, is being altered.”
She also asked, “Where did INEC get its new proposal from? If the Urhobo legally had two wards before, and now they have nine in the new proposal, it means seven new wards have been added. Shouldn’t the Itsekiri, who originally had eight wards, also receive a proportional increase, like 28 new wards to bring theirs to 36?”
But instead of increasing the number of wards for the Itsekiri, INEC kept the same eight wards and added new ones for the Ijaw, a group that historically doesn’t come from Warri South. Princess Fregene pointed out that this was confusing and unfair. “Where did INEC get the authority to add Ijaw wards in Warri South?” she asked.
The group believes that the same unfair changes are happening in Warri South-West and Warri North, areas with a large number of Itsekiri people. Fregene added, “It’s clear that INEC’s actions are wrong and seem to favor certain ethnic groups over the Itsekiri.”
She also warned that these changes could lead to problems and unrest in the Niger Delta region if the government doesn’t step in. “This kind of injustice by INEC is one too many and could easily lead to crisis and unrest in the region if not urgently addressed by the Federal Government,” she said.
Princess Fregene called on Itsekiri people everywhere to stay peaceful but stand up for their rights. “We wish to categorically state that our group and all Itsekiri people, both at home and abroad, have completely rejected the proposed report by INEC,” she added.
