By Jimitota  Onoyume

Ijaw and Urhobo communities in the Warri Federal Constituency have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to complete the ward redelineation exercise in the area, expressing satisfaction with the commission’s preliminary field report.

  At a joint press briefing yesterday in Warri, representatives of the two ethnic groups urged INEC to suspend all voter registration and electoral activities in the constituency until the redelineation exercise is fully concluded, in accordance with a Supreme Court judgment mandating the exercise.

  The statement, signed by  Denbo-Denbofa Oweikpodor,  Sheriff Mulade,   Arthur Akpodubakaye, Dr. Joel Bisina,  Emmanuel Igetei,  John Eranvor,  West Ham Adehor, Victor Okumagba, and  Mark Ikpuri, reads in part:

 “The Ijaws and Urhobos of Warri commend the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the steps taken so far towards complying with the Supreme Court order on fresh delineation of electoral wards and polling units .”

in the Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State.

“We welcome the release of the fieldwork report on the fresh delineation by INEC.

  “We therefore call on INEC to complete the process of delineating the electoral wards and polling units in Warri Federal Constituency and to release its final decision without further delay.

  “It is the position of the Ijaws and Urhobos of Warri that there should be no electoral activity, including voter registration, in the Warri Federal Constituency until the delineation exercise, as ordered by the Supreme Court, is concluded.”

  It would be recalled that the Itsekiri ethnic group had rejected INEC’s preliminary report, staging several protests and alleging that the report deliberately marginalized their interests.