Uche Cecil Izuora
Several groups from the South West have called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) planned ward delineation exercise in Warri Federal Constituency.
The group said the exercise is already causing political issues in Delta State and which is calculated as a string of political and economic exclusion imposed on Itsekiri people.
They called on President Tinubu and the National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu to take urgent steps to prevent looming crises in the Niger Delta as a result of the exercise.
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, the Alliance for Yoruba Democratic Movements, (AYDM) a coalition of 130 Pan Yoruba groups said the present repression of Itsekiri people has the potential of leading to fresh outbreak of hostilities that may affect oil production and flare armed conflict in the region.
Speaking during the press AYDM General Secretary, Mr Popoola Ajayi, said the primary causes of the crisis are the INEC’s proposed Ward Delineation Exercise in Warri Federal Constituency and a string of political and economic exclusion imposed on Itsekiri people, the award of oil pipeline protection of oil facilities in Itsekiriland to sworn enemies of Itsekiri and the proliferation of small arms suspected being acquired to settle scores with Itsekiri people.
The group warned that if the Presidency fails to intervene and ensure Justice, it could lead to political unrest but a quick intervention would prevent any such occurrence.
“We are compelled to call this conference due to the emerging crisis in the Niger Delta and the far reaching implication for democracy and the rule of law in Nigeria. We recall that for about 6 years, the Niger Delta was thrown into armed ethnic conflict which threatened the stability of Nigeria. We do not want to see this happen again. That conflict brought tears and blood in the Niger Delta,” the AYDM said.
The group said the crisis could be avoided if the Presidency and the security institutions respond to the current early signal warnings.
Ajayi said “It’s never too late to prevent a major crisis in the Niger Delta that may drag the entire Yoruba Nation into the crisis. We believe this can be avoided and should be avoided by all means, hence our decision to speak out.”
The AYDM said unfortunately, if the historic injustice is not addressed, history of violence may repeat itself.
It said it hoped this will not happen given the various forms of crisis Nigeria is facing at the moment.
The AYDM said the time to act is now, adding that the Yorubas, Igbo, Hausa, Tiv like every other ethnic nationality in Nigeria have their traditional homeland with their various administrative structure with which they entered into the marriage of the 1914 amalgamation.
The group said for administrative convenience, the various Yoruba sub groups such as the Itsekiri, Ilaje, Ikale, Owu, Egba, Ijumu, Ondo, Oworro, Ibilo, Igbomina Okun, Ijebu, Ekiti etc though scattered in different part of Nigeria, they still maintain their historical, linguistic, cultural affinity and solidarity.
The AYDM said there is no gainsaying the fact that the Warri homeland is entire Itsekiri’s.
“Prior to the 1914 amalgamation, the Itsekiri people of Warri kingdom like their Yoruba brothers already have a well established administrative structure, headed by the Olu of Warri with which they conveniently conduct their judicial, legislative and executive functions. The defunct Warri Local Government, nay Itsekiri homeland was what gave birth to the three Warris of today, viz; Warri South, Warri North and Warri South-West. Another way of saying this is that in the evolutionary account of time, what was not there in the Warri kingdom (Itsekiri homeland) before and post the 1914 amalgamation cannot now be reckoned with.”
The AYDM said before now there were 13 wards in the defunct Warri LGA/Itsekiri homeland, Itsekiri were having 10 wards, Ijaws two wards and the Urhobos one ward.
It noted that INEC successfully isolated the Itsekiri homeland of the Warri Federal Constituency without tempering or replicating same in the other 359 federal constituencies of the federal republic of Nigeria to merge previously existing larger wards and polling units of the 10 Itsekiri wards in the defunct Warri Local Government and increase the one of Urhobo and two of Ijaws’ through various failed litigation attempts and abuse of relevant administrative power. “
The AYDM said what INEC has successfully shown to the whole world is their conspiracy theory that while the polling units, voting strength and population in the other 359 federal constituencies of Nigeria continue to grow, the one Urhobo ward and the two Ijaw ward in the defunct Warri Local Government continue to grow, the 10 Itsekiri wards of the same defunct Warri Local Government continue to diminish.
The group said INEC justified the fear that when Delta state was to be created, the Itsekiri vehemently opposed the idea of forcing them into Delta State
“Then it was said that once the Itsekiri homeland is taken or carved out of the proposed Delta State, the economic viability needed for the sustainability of the new Delta state would have been defeated. Hence Delta State cannot be created.”
The AYDM said the Yoruba and Itsekiri are blood bound and would jointly resist the current injustice being inflicted in Itsekiri people.