JUST IN: Activist Ezekiel Steps Down for Mulade in Warri Federal Constituency Race, Cites Need for Collaboration

By Monday Peters, Abuja

Abuja -Frontline contestant for the 2027 House of Representatives for Warri Federal Constituency under the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Comrade Daniel Ezekiel Perela has announced his withdrawal from the race.

In a statement earlier sent to the Congress newspaper, said he is stepping down and collapsing his campaign structure for Chief Sheriff Mulade, aspirant for the Warri federal constituency house of representatives seat.

Perela, who declared his intention to run on January 1, 2026, said the decision was painful but necessary to protect the interests of the Izon of the Warri federal Constituency.

He explained that his initial calculation was for fellow Izon aspirant Chief Promise Lawuru to secure the All Progressives Congress, APC, ticket and Chief Sheriff Mulade to secure the ADC ticket, creating an all-Izon contest in the general election. Perela said he was confident he could win the ADC primary, but the outcome of the APC primary changed the political equation.

According to him, the APC primary held in Warri days ago produced the current representative, Chief Thomas Ereyitomi of the Itsekiri ethnic group, who won with the backing of what he described as “Izon pharaohs and sorcerers.” Perela said Ereyitomi’s victory meant that a split Izon vote between him and Mulade would place the Izons of the Warri federal constituency in a weak position, while Ereyitomi would consolidate Itsekiri votes and draw additional support from parts of the Izon and Urhobo areas.

“Now that the music has changed, the dance step must equally follow suit, hence this painful decision I term sacrifice so that my people can be free from this subjugation,” Perela said.

He described Mulade as a senior comrade in the struggle with an intimidating record, and said he was an independent-minded candidate who could not be controlled for selfish purposes. Perela urged Izon people to rally behind Mulade to end what he called 28 years of political marginalization in Warri Federal Constituency.

Perela noted that since the return of democracy in 1999, only candidates of Itsekiri extraction have occupied the Warri Federal Constituency seat in the House of Representatives, a situation he described as unjust and akin to an apartheid system. He said his campaign had been anchored on the “Youth O’Clock” platform, focused on welfare and inclusivity, and that the message had gained traction across the constituency.

He also cited his years of advocacy on issues including the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, 13 percent derivation, the Niger Delta Ministry, Amnesty Programme, Local Content Board, Maritime University, and Tantita Security Services, saying these had created jobs for thousands of youths who might otherwise have become a problem to society.

Perela said his stance on truth, objectivity, and fairness had led to threats to his life, harassment, and multiple detentions by the Department of State Services, police, civil defence, and the army.

He thanked his campaign team, family members, and supporters, including Alhaji Yusuf Hakeem and others he said were too numerous to mention, for their support.