Reps Ask INEC To Restore Suppressed Benue Constituency

The House of Representatives has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to urgently restore the suppressed Nyamatsor State Constituency in Buruku local government area of Benue State, in compliance with extant Laws and the Provisions of Sections 91 and 112 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).

This followed the adoption of a motion moved by the member representing Buruku federal constituency, Hon. Sekav Dzua Iyortyom at plenary yesterday.

Moving the motion, Iyortyom noted that Nyamatsor State Constituency in Buruku local government area existed among other state constituencies in Benue State under the defunct Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1979; and made up of eight council wards.

He also noted that the Nyamatsor State Constituency produced members into the Benue State House of Assembly from 1979 until the Third Republic was aborted by the military in 1993.

The lawmaker said INEC acted ultra vires when it excluded Nyamatsor State Constituency, which existed under the 1979 Constitution of Nigeria, during the conduct of the 1999 general elections.

According to Iyortyom, Section 91 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 provides that “a House of f Assembly of a State shall consist of three or four times the number of seats which that State has in the House of Representatives divided in a way to reflect, as far as possible, nearly equal population.”

He informed that Benue State which has 11 seats in the House of Representatives, is expected to have at least 33 State Constituencies as each seat in the House of Representatives is expected to have three State
Constituencies in the State House of Assembly.

The All Progressives Congress lawmaker expressed concern that; “the situation in the Benue State House of Assembly and Buruku Federal Constituency is such that Benue State House of Assembly has only 32 members instead of 33 as mandated by sections 91 and 112 of the Constitution.

“Buruku Federal Constituency has only one member or seat instead of three members or seats as envisaged by the 1999 Constitution in the Benue State House of Assembly. In 2004 INEC, wrote to the National Assembly to approve the restoration of the suppressed State Constituencies across the nation.

“Section 114 (1) the Constitution of the Federal republic of Nigeria, 1999 provides for periodic review of State Constituencies, it states that the Independent National Electoral Commission shall review the division of every State into constituencies at intervals of not less than ten years, and may alter such constituencies following the provision of this section to such extent as it may consider desirable in the light of the review.

“The last review of State Constituencies in Nigeria by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was in 1998, resulting in the Suppression of Nyamatsor and 65 other State Constituencies.

“From 1998 till date, over 27 years, INEC has continued to suppress the Nyamatsor State Constituency and other State Constituencies across 19 States of the Federation, even after this House through a motion by Hon. Kingsley Chinda resolved and directed INEC to restore the suppressed constituencies.

“The essence of participatory democracy is to ensure inclusive governance to bring about a balanced development in society but the people of Buruku have remained excluded and underrepresented as a result of this unconstitutional suppression of Nyamatsor State Constituency.”