By Stella Edoka
The Kogi State House of Assembly has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC to immediately restore the 12 suppressed constituencies in the state, in line with constitutional provisions and subsisting court judgments.
The resolution followed a motion moved by the member representing Kabba/Bunu Constituency, Seyi Bello, during plenary in Lokoja.
Bello noted that the Nigerian Constitution mandates INEC to delineate constituencies based on equitable population distribution and to undertake periodic reviews at intervals of not less than ten years.
The lawmaker recalled that the state originally had 32 constituencies at its creation in 1991, but 12 were suppressed during INEC’s 1998 review.
According to him,the affected constituencies include Kabba-Bunu II, Yagba West II, Adavi II, Olamaboro II, and Bassa-Nge/Gbirra, among others.
Bello described the suppression as a long-standing infringement on the political rights of thousands of Kogi citizens who have been denied adequate representation for more than two decades.
He further reminded lawmakers of a 2015 Federal High Court judgment that ordered INEC to restore six of the suppressed constituencies, a directive he said remains unimplemented.
He also referenced a March 19, 2025 resolution of the House of Representatives directing INEC to restore all suppressed constituencies in Kogi and Delta States.
The lawmaker therefore called on the state government, through the Ministry of Justice, to re-engage with INEC by presenting the relevant court orders and National Assembly resolutions as the basis for urgent compliance.
He also urged Governor Usman Ahmed Ododo to personally liaise with INEC and the National Assembly to fast-track the constituency delimitation process.
In his ruling, Speaker, Aliyu Umar Yusuf instructed the Clerk of the House to immediately communicate the Assembly’s resolution to INEC and other relevant authorities.
Edited by Ajifa Ainoko
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