“Implement The Supreme Court Ordered Warri Federal Constituency Final Delineation Report Or Risk The Total Shutdown Of Oil Production In The Niger Delta”___

By Ebiowei Gabriel

The Niger Delta Advocates For Peace, Development And Economic Justice (NDAPDEJ) has issued a strong warning to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Federal Government and all relevant authorities that any further delay in the implementation of the recently released Supreme Court-ordered Warri Federal Constituency Delineation Report could trigger serious consequences capable of disrupting oil production activities across the Niger Delta region.

The National Coordinator of NDAPDEJ, Comrade Freeborn Abraye, stated that the report released by INEC following the Supreme Court judgment represents the culmination of years of legal battles, agitation, stakeholder engagements and constitutional processes. According to him, any attempt to delay, frustrate, manipulate or refuse implementation of the report would amount to a direct assault on the rule of law, constitutional democracy and the authority of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

“The Supreme Court remains the highest court in the land. Its judgments are final and binding on all persons, institutions and authorities. Any attempt to undermine the implementation of the Warri Federal Constituency Delineation Report is an invitation to chaos and a dangerous precedent capable of eroding public confidence in the Nigerian judicial system.”

NDAPDEJ noted that INEC recently released the Supreme Court-ordered delineation report after years of litigation and consultations involving stakeholders from the various ethnic nationalities within the Warri Federal Constituency. The group argued that having completed the exercise and publicly presented the final report, there is no legal or moral justification for any further delay in its implementation.

The organization warned that the people of the Niger Delta, particularly those who have long suffered political marginalization and electoral injustice, are closely monitoring developments and will not accept any attempt by powerful interests to sabotage the implementation process.

“We wish to make it abundantly clear that the Niger Delta cannot continue to bear the burden of producing the wealth that sustains Nigeria while its people are denied justice, fair representation and constitutional rights. The implementation of the delineation report is not negotiable. It is a legal obligation.”

Comrade Abraye further stated that if the Federal Government, INEC and other relevant authorities fail to implement the report without further delay, the responsibility for any resulting industrial unrest, mass protests and disruptions to economic activities in the Niger Delta would rest squarely on those undermining the implementation process.

“The Niger Delta remains the economic backbone of Nigeria. Those attempting to frustrate the implementation of this report must understand that peace, stability and uninterrupted oil production cannot thrive where injustice prevails. The continued suppression of the legitimate rights of the people will only deepen tensions across the region.”

NDAPDEJ therefore called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the leadership of INEC, the National Assembly, security agencies and all stakeholders to ensure the immediate and unconditional implementation of the Supreme Court-ordered Warri Federal Constituency Delineation Report in accordance with the law.

The group also urged all ethnic nationalities within the Warri Federal Constituency to remain peaceful, vigilant and united in the pursuit of justice, while insisting that no amount of political pressure, intimidation or ethnic propaganda should be allowed to override the judgment of the Supreme Court and the final report released by INEC.

“History will judge harshly those who seek to undermine justice. The time for delay has expired. The time for implementation is now.”

SIGNED:
Comrade Freeborn Abraye
National Coordinator
Niger Delta Advocates For Peace, Development And Economic Justice (NDAPDEJ).