Lawyers Petition Electoral Commission Over Suppressed Constituencies In Kogi

A team of other legal practitioners, led by Barrister Ayo Kunle Jonathan, have petitioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), urging it to address issues of suppressed constituencies in Kogi State.

Jonathan, who stated this on Thursday at INEC office in Kogi State, noted that the Constitution mandates commission to create constituencies, citing Section 91, which requires the House of Assembly of a state to have 3 or 4 State constituencies in a Federal Constituency.

He noted that some constituencies were suppressed after the state was created, resulting in unequal representation in the Kogi State House of Assembly.

The Kogi State House of Assembly According to the legal practitioners, currently has 25 Members, short of the required number stipulated in Sections 91 and 114 of the Constitution.

Jonathan highlighted that Ajaokuta Federal Constituency has only one Assembly Member, whereas Kabba Bunu State Constituency used to have Kabba 1 and 2, Ijumu 1 and 2. Similarly, the same situation he said exists in Yagba Federal Constituency and other areas with suppressed Constituencies.

Adding his voice to the petition submitted, Barr. Zacchaeus Dare Michael, Chairman of Kabba Bunu LGA, one of the affected Local Government, supported Jonathan’s petition on behalf of the citizens of the State, stating that laws are meant to be fair and just and lamented the suppression of some State Constituencies after the creation of the State.

He cited examples of federal constituencies with inadequate representation and called for the restoration of suppressed seats.

The petitioners urged INEC and Governor Usman Ahmed Ododo to address the issue before the next election, warning that the current composition of the state assembly is defective and lacks legal quorum.

According to Barr. Zacchaeus Dare Michael, “As an interested Party whose Local Government is suppressed, I’m joined in submitting a letter to the INEC.

“laws are drafted in the spirit of equity, justice and fairness. Section 91 of the nation constitution stipulates that a federal Constituency should have 3 or 4 State Constituencies with members in the State Assembly.

“In Idah Federal Constituency, they have four local governments. The four LGAs are represented with a member each in the State Assembly.

“In Ankpa they have 3 LGAs, they have met the constitutional provision of the State lawmakers. In Dekina Bassa Federal Constituency, they require one more Lawmaker to fulfill the provision. In Kogi Central with five LGAs, they have six Assembly Lawmakers with six other seats suppressed. In Kogi West we have 7 LGAs with 8 members with four suppressed seats.

“In 1991, these suppressed Constituencies had their members. Kabba has one and two. Ijumu has One and two, Koto has one and two. By the spirit of the Constitution, we demand the restoration of the suppressed seats, because creation of new constitution would require amending the constitution. We are therefore asking for the restoration of what was in existence”, urge INEC to before the next election, return the Constituency that existed at State creation that has now been suppressed.

“The implications of what obtains now in the Kogi State House of Assembly is that the House is wrongly constituted. They are not forming the legal quorum. If the law says 3, the members will be 27 and if four, it will be 36. Thus far, the quorum in the assembly is defective in the eyes of law.

“We are urging INEC to restore the suppressed Constituencies. We are urging Gov. Usman Ahmed Ododo to listen to the cry of those suppressed voices to enable us to have our representative in the spirit of the Law. The law didn’t look at population, it is more concerned about equality, fairness and Justice,” Dare said.