By Akpokona Omafuaire, UGHELLI

THE people of Kusimi, Eweregbene, Tekedor-Kusimi Communities of Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom of Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to include the excluded communities in the final report of the recently Supreme Court ordered wards and polling units delineation.

They made the call during a Press briefing led by Mr. Newman Kusimi, Opinion Leader, Mr. Joseph Dedetolu, Opinion Leader, Eweregbene Community, and Amb. Dcn. Clement Tekedor, Opinion Leader, Tekedor Kusimi Community.

The people said INEC should act on the petition they had earlier sent so that they will not be disenfranchised.

According to them, “We, the leaders and people of Kusimi Community, Eweregbene Community, and Tekedor Kusimi Community, we 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 the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“Our communities are not mere settlements. We are constitutionally recognized entities with distinct histories, cultures, and legal status. Our existence is affirmed by judicial decisions, the National Population Census, and political and traditional institutions, including prior acknowledgments by INEC itself.

“We have always participated actively in the democratic process and contributed to the socio-political development of Delta State and Nigeria at large.

“Historically, our communities have been part of Ward 1 in Warri South West Local Government Area, represented specifically in Units 22 and 27. This has been the framework through which we exercise our democratic rights.

“We are, therefore, alarmed and disappointed by our exclusion from the list of communities in INEC’s recent delineation exercise in the Warri Federal Constituency.

“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.

“We, therefore, make the following demands: INEC must immediately reinstate the names of Kusimi, Eweregbene, and Tekedor Kusimi Communities into the official list of communities in Warri South West LGA.

“INEC must recognize and create separate electoral wards for each of these communities, in line with their population and voting capacity. The relevant authorities must investigate this act of exclusion and treat it as a violation of our constitutional and democratic rights.

“The media, civil society, and all justice-loving Nigerians must stand with us in ensuring that fairness, transparency, and equity is restored. Let it be known: we will not be silent when our identity, our civic rights, and our future are disregarded.

“As the saying goes, ‘We are too important to be ignored by human beings, because no human can take the place of God.’ We demand immediate corrective action, inclusion, and public clarification by INEC.” They stated.

They also call on, Hon. Sylvester Oromoni, Chairman of Warri South West Local Government Area, Sheriff Oborevwori, and Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to urgently intervene and address this injustice. Our communities must not be silenced or excluded from the democratic process to which we are rightfully entitled.