The lawmaker representing Burutu Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Julius Pondi has said that racism reigns in the political system.
Pondi stressed that the system was already rigged to favor certain people even before the advent of democracy.
The lawmaker said this while speaking at the 2022 World Peace Day organized by the Shedrack Agediga Foundation in Warri, Delta State, on Wednesday.
The event with the international theme “End Racism and Build Peace” and the sub-theme “End Ethnic Intolerance and Build Peace” was attended by government officials, Civil Society Organizations, ethnic nationalities and various youth groups across the Niger Delta.
On the intolerance in the political sector, Pondi said;
“For me in the public field, I want us to know that there is political racism. And I do say that before Nigeria was handed over to us in 1999, it was already rigged.
“There was racism even in the putting together of the constituencies that forms our country.
“In the National Assembly, it has to do with numbers and if you are pushing for anything, you need the numbers.
“Bayelsa, Delta and Edo state all have about 24 representatives, Kano state alone has 24. We were rigged before the beginning.”
The lawmaker further commended the Shedrack Agediga Foundation for remaining consistent in contributing to peace in the Niger Delta.
