UPDATE: REPS URGENT INEC TO RESTORE SUPPRESSED CONSTITUENCIES IN KOGI, DELTA
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The House of Representatives has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to restore what it called the 12 suppressed constituencies in Kogi State.
This decision of the House was a sequel to the consideration and adoption on Wednesday of a motion brought to the attention of the lawmakers in plenary by the Kogi House caucus.
Rallying support for the motion, the member representing Ijumu/Kabba-Bunnu Federal Constituency, Kogi State, Mr Idris Salman, said the 1999 Constitution (as amended) provides that a House of Assembly of a state shall consist of three or four times the number of seats that state has in the House of Representatives divided in a way to reflect, as far as possible, nearly equal population.
He also noted that Section 114(1) provides for periodic review of state constituencies not less than 10 years and may alter such constituencies to such an extent as it may be considered durable in the light of the review.
He added, “In the gubernatorial and state Assembly elections that were held on December 14, 1991, Kogi State had 32 state constituencies in which elections were duly conducted and winners declared.
“Kogi State, which has nine seats in the House of Representatives, is supposed to have at least 27 or 36 House of Assembly seats as provided for in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended.”
He lamented that in the last review of state constituencies, the North Central state was shortchanged.
He continued, “The last review of state constituencies in Nigeria by INEC was in 1998, which resulted in the suppression of some constituencies in the Kogi State House of Assembly seats.
“From 1998 to date, INEC has continued to suppress the Kogi State House of Assembly seats in constituencies such as Kabba-Bunu II, Ijumu II, Koton Karfe I, Yagba West II, Adavi II, Iffe/Ogodu, Igala Ogba, Okura, Enjema, Dekina Town, Olamaboro II, and Bassa-Nge/Gbirra.”
He argued that “The restoration of the suppressed constituencies in Kogi State will further deepen our democracy in terms of quality representation and grassroots development and promote equality.”
With the adoption of the motion, the House urged INEC to restore the constituencies and charged its Committee on Electoral Matters to interface with the INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, and report back within four weeks.
In a related development, the House also charged INEC to urgently restore the Sapele II State Assembly Constituency of Delta State to comply with the judgment of the Federal High Court and the provisions of the Constitution.
This followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by the member representing Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie Federal Constituency, Delta State, Mr Benedict Etanabene.
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