Reps tackle INEC for failing to review federal constituencies 22 years after

The House of Representatives on Wednesday underscored the need for Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) invoking the provision of Section 71(b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) which provides for the review of the division of states of the federation into federal constituencies.

The resolution was passed sequel to the adoption of a motion on Matter of Urgent National Importance on the ‘Review of the division of states of the federation into federal constituencies’, sponsored by the Minority Leader, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu.

Hon. Elumelu who expressed displeasure over the failure of the Commission to exert its powers as provided by the Constitution chided the Commission for failing to review the division of states into federal constituencies over the past 22 years of the current democratic, against the 10 years provided by the Constitution.

The lawmaker noted that some of the existing federal constituencies are over-burdened based on the current structure, harped on the need to ensure that Nigerians get the dividends of democracy and be adequately represented.

In his lead debate, Hon. Elumelu observed that “section 71(b) of the 1999 constitution as amended empowers the independent national electoral commission (INEC) to divide the federation into 360 federal constituencies for the purpose of elections into the House of Representatives.

“The House further note that section 73(1) expressly directed that the independent national electoral commission shall review the division of states of the federation into federal constituencies at intervals of not less than 10years, and may alter the constituencies in accordance with the provisions of this section to such extent as it may consider desirable in the light of the review.

“The House is aware that section 49 provides that the House of Representatives shall consist of 360 members representing 360 constituencies of nearly equal population as far as possible, provided that no constituency shall fall within more than one state.

“The House is further aware that since the commencement of the 4th republic till date, INEC has not deemed necessary the compliance of the above section 73(1) of the 1999 constitution as amended thereby depriving citizens of bloated federal constituencies’ adequate attention.

“The House is worried that though the Constitution provides a 10-year time frame for constituency reviews, INEC has not done any known review in the last 22 years of the current democratic dispensation, hence the urgent need to call on INEC to be alive to her responsibilities.

“The House is further worried that the reality on ground today, whereby some federal constituencies are twice the size of others in both size and population, is at variance with the letters and dictates of the 1999 constitution. This is so because INEC has failed to live up to its responsibilities, hence the need to urgently rectify this abnormally for the sake of equitable representation.

“The House is concerned that to guarantee effective, quality and adequate representation in the House of Representatives, INEC should without delay delimit the constituencies and carve out new federal constituencies especially in constituencies covering four local government areas.

“The House is further concerned that the continuous failure for INEC to live up to its responsibilities in reviewing the division of states into federal constituencies does not only portray INEC in a bad light but the entire government institution including the national assembly for also failing to call her to order and invoking adequate sanctions where necessary hence the need for this motion,” he noted.

To this end, the House urged INEC to without further delay review constituency delineation as enshrined in the 1999 constitution (as amended).

The House maintained that in reviewing INEC should take into consideration Aniocha/Oshimili federal constituency in Delta state which has 4 Local Government Areas and one of the largest federal constituencies in both population and landmass in the entire nation by splitting it into Aniocha North/Aniocha South Federal Constituency and Oshimili North/Oshimili South Federal Constituency and Iseyin/Kajola/Iwajowa/Itesiwaju in Oyo State with 4 Local Government Areas into Iseyin/Kajola Federal Constituency and Iwajowa/Itesiwaju Federal Constituency.

In the bid to ensure compliance, the House mandated its Committee on Electoral Matters to interface with the leadership of INEC and report back in six weeks.

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