Dare Babalola
The Kogi State House of Assembly is calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to restore 12 suppressed state constituencies, citing constitutional provisions, court judgments, and recent National Assembly resolutions.
This development follows a motion by Hon. Seyi Bello, lawmaker representing Kabba/Bunu State Constituency, citing Sections 112 and 114 of the 1999 Constitution, which empower INEC to conduct constituency delimitation and ensure equitable population distribution.
The suppressed constituencies include Kabba-Bunu II, Ijumu II, Koton Karfe I, Yagba West II, Adavi II, Ife/Ogodu, Igala Ogba, Okura, Enjema, Dekina Town, Olamaboro II and Bassa-Nge/Gbirra.
During the deliberation, the lawmaker also referenced Section 91 of the Constitution, requiring states to have 3-4 times their federal constituencies represented in State Assemblies.
Hon. Bello noted that with 9 federal constituencies, Kogi should have 27-36 State Assembly seats, as per the Constitution.
“Kogi State currently has only 25 constituencies, which falls below the constitutional minimum,” he said.
Hon. Bello noted that Kogi’s first Assembly had 32 constituencies in 1991, but INEC suppressed 12 in a 1998 review.
Hon. Bello condemned the suppression as a violation of the affected communities’ rights, citing two court cases: a 2014 suit by Kogi State Government, which secured a 2015 Federal High Court judgment ordering INEC to restore six Kogi East constituencies, and Omoluabi Olabode Adeyemi’s case seeking Kabba-Bunu II Constituency’s restoration.
The lawmaker highlighted a March 19, 2025 House of Representatives resolution directing INEC to restore suppressed constituencies in Kogi and Delta States, stressing that the delay denies citizens full representation.
Expressing concern, he said the failure to conduct the delimitation exercise has deprived the state of equitable development and weakened democratic representation for over two decades.
Lawmakers from various parts of the state strongly supported the motion, citing demographic growth, constitutional imbalance and historical evidence.
They referenced areas such as Adavi/Okehi, Koton Karfe and Olamaboro, which previously had multiple constituencies and even produced more than one Assembly member, backed by court judgements and archival records.
The Speaker, Rt. Hon. Aliyu Umar Yusuf, praised the depth of the motion, saying the Assembly maintains complete records of constituencies dating back to 1991 and directed the Clerk to immediately compile and attach relevant documents, including the 1992 Assembly register and certified court judgements, before communicating the resolutions to the INEC Chairman, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Attorney-General of the Federation.
