By Citizenship Daily
The House of Representatives has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to restore 12 suppressed constituencies in Kogi State.
The defunct constituencies are: Kabba-Bunu II, Ijumu
II, Koton Karfe I, Yagba West I, Adavi II, Iffe/Ogodu, Igala Ogba, Okura, Enjema, Dekina Town,
Olamaboro II, and Bassa-Nge/Igbirra.
This followed the adoption of a motion moved by the member, representing Ijumu/Kabba federal constituency of Kogi state, Hon. Salman Idris and eight other at plenary on Wednesday.
Moving the motion, Idris said Section 91 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) provides that “a House of Assembly of a state shall consist of three or four times the number of seats that, that state has in the House of Representatives divided in a way to reflect, as far as possible, nearly equal population.”
He said 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 consider durable in the light
of the review.
Idris informed that the Gubernatorial and State Assembly elections that were held on December 15, 1991, Kogi state had 32 State Constituencies in which elections were duly conducted and winners declared.
He argued that Kogi State, which has nine (9) 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).
“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, the Independent National Electoral Commission has continued to suppress the Kogi State House of Assembly Seats…
“Worried that the essence of participatory democracy is to ensure inclusive governance aimed at bringing a balanced development through quality representation, Kogi State has remained under-represented as a result of this unconstitutional gross suppression of the number of seats in the Kogi
State House of Assembly.
“Also worried that the Independent National Electoral Commission has continued to act in ultra vires due to the exclusion of the above mentioned constituencies.
Convinced 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,” he noted.
Also at plenary, the House adopted a motion moved by Hon. Benedict Etanabene which sought the restoration of Sapele II State Assembly constituency of Delta state.
In his debate, Etanabene noted
that in 1991, the defunct National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (NECON) delineated Delta State into 38 State Assembly Constituencies in line with Sections 85, 104, 105, 106, and 107 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1979, which was almost imperia materia with Sections 91, 112, 113, 114, and 115 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
He said, during the 1991 general polls elections were conducted in those 38 State Assembly
Constituencies, including Sapele II, State Assembly Constituency.
“Upon the establishment of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in 1998, which replaced the National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (NECON), the Commission suppressed some State Assembly Constituencies, among is Sapele II State
Assembly Constituency,” he noted.
