The Nigerian House of Representatives, on Tuesday, called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to urgently restore suppressed State Constituencies in Ado, Okpokwu and Ogbadibo Local Government Areas of Benue State.
This was sequel to a motion brought before it by the Member representing Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency, Philip Agbese.
In the motion seconded by Kelechi Nwogu, member representing Etche/Omuma Federal Constituency of Rivers State, the House also mandated INEC to conduct elections into the state constituencies, when restored, in 2027.
Agbese, while leading a debate on the motion, drew the attention of the House to the fact that each of the three LGAs in his constituency had enjoyed representations with twp distinct State Constituencies, before INEC suspended three out of the six constituencies.
“Historically, prior to certain delimitation exercises in the Fourth Republic, each of Ado, Okpokwu and Ogbadibo Local Government Areas in Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency had two distinct State Constituencies, specifically known as Ado State Constituency 1 & 2; Ogbadibo & Otukpa State Constituencies; and Okpokwu State Constituency 1 & 2; in the Benue State House of Assembly. These reflected their significant landmass, population, number of wards, cultural and administrative identities as key Idoma-speaking communities.
“Concerned that subsequent delimitation and suppression exercises by INEC reduced the representation of these Local Government Areas, resulting in each LGA now having only one State Constituency, hereby forcing large populations and vast territories to be represented by a single member in the Benue State House of Assembly,” Agbese posited.
Agbese, who doubles as Deputy spokesperson of the House, further maintained that “the suppression of these constituencies has negatively impacted the lives and wellbeing of my constituents who are being grossly under-represented in the Benue State House of Assembly, leading to inadequate legislative voice, inequitable access to developmental projects, resources, state attention, and overall marginalization, despite the size and developmental needs of the three LGAs”.
He stressed that the current arrangement runs contrary to the principles of federalism, justice, equity and fair representation, and has led to widespread agitation among the constituents, while reminding the parliament of similar resolutions passed before in the cases of Ukum II, Gboko and Nyamatsor State Constituencies of Benue.
The lawmaker told the House that restoring two State Constituencies to each of Ado, Okpokwu and Ogbadibo LGAs (bringing the total to six, as historically existed) “is necessary to correct injustice, align with demographic realities, and strengthen democratic representation across Benue State”.
In a unanimous decision, the House subsequently urged INEC to restore the Ado II, Okpokwu II and Otukpa State Constituency in Ogbadibo Local Government Area, while directing the empire to activate machineries to ensure elections are conducted into the restored State Constituencies in 2027.
To ensure strict compliance, the House, presided over by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, mandated the Committee on INEC to interface with INEC, Benue State Government, the Attorney-General of the Federation and other relevant stakeholders, to ensure immediate restoration and operationalization of the constituencies.
