A prominent Itsekiri leader in Delta State, Chief (Mrs.) Rita Lori-Ogbebor, has thrown her weight behind the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) bid to use the card reader technology in the conduct of this year’s general elections.
She disclosed this in a chat with Saturday Sun during a pan-Yoruba summit entitled: “Yoruba People: Our Aspirations and Minimum Demands from the Central Government of Nigeria”, which was convened by former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Alani Akinrinade (retd) and held in Ibadan on Thursday.
Lori-Ogbebor stated that the use of card reader technology would improve the electoral process in Nigeria, adding that previous elections in which the technology was not employed were fraught with irregularities.
“The card reader is a technology to make the elections more transparent. There is nothing wrong with it. Technology is progressive. The card reader is supposed to improve electoral process. So, what is wrong with the card reader? I don’t see what is wrong with it,” she stated.
Lori-Ogbebor, who commended Akinrinade for convening the Yoruba Assembly, noted that the Itsekiris could trace their origin to Ijebu in Ogun State. She urged the Yoruba nation to rise to the defence of their kith and kin in Itsekiri land against the purported marginalisation by the Ijaw and Urhobo ethnic tribes.
According to her, the maginalisation negated how the Itsekiri people should be treated since Nigeria gets 32 per cent of its total oil production from Itsekiri land.
She averred that the Itsekiris are in support of all the demands of the Yoruba nation including a restructured federal government that would enable every federating units the opportunity to achieve its highest potentials without hindrance, fiscal federalism, good governance and others.
Lori-Ogbebor also enjoined Nigerians to troop out on March 28 for the presidential/ national assembly elections and on April 11 for the governorship/state assembly polls.
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