BY MICHAEL IKEOGWU/WARRI
THE people of Kusimi, Eweregbene, and Tekedor Kusimi Communities in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately reinstate them into the official list of communities in Warri South-West local government area.
The call was jointly made by the communities in a statement issued to journalists, yesterday, in Warri.
The statement was signed by Mr Newman Kusimi; Mr Joseph Dedetolu and Amb. Clement Tekedor, opinion leaders of Kusimi, Eweregbene, and Tekedor Kusimi communities, respectively.
The people said that the communities were disappointed over their exclusion from the list of communities in INEC’s recent delineation exercise in the Warri Federal Constituency.
They said historically, their communities had been part of Ward 1 and specifically represented in Unit 22 and 27 in Warri South-West local government area.
The people added that this has been the framework through which they exercised their democratic rights.
“We the above communities find it imperative to come together in unity and peace to assert our civic rights and correct a grave injustice recently meted out to us by INEC.
“Our communities are not mere settlements. We are constitutionally recognised entities with distinct histories, cultures, and legal status.
“Our existence is affirmed by judicial decisions, the National Population Commission and pol i t ical and traditional institutions including prior acknowledgement by INEC.
“We have always participated actively in the democratic process and contributed to the socio-political development of Delta and Nigeria at large.
“This omission is particularly disheartening given that our communities had earlier agitated for the creation of separate wards, based on our significant population and voting strength which qualifies each community for such representation.
“To now see our names omitted and replaced with fictitious or non-existent ones is an affront to justice, democratic integrity, and our fundamental rights as citizens,” they said.
The people, therefore called on INEC to recognise and create separate electoral wards for each of the communities in line with their population and voting capacity.
They also called on relevant authorities to investigate the unlawful exclusion and treat same as a violation of their constitutional and democratic rights.
While demanding immediate corrective action, inclusion, and public clarification by the electoral umpire, the communities maintained that they would not be silent when their identity, civic rights and future were disregarded.
They called on the chairman, Warri South-West local government area, Delta State governor and President Bola Tinubu to urgently intervene and address the injustice.
The people, however, stressed that their communities would not be silenced or excluded from the democratic process to which they rightfully entitled to.
