Restructuring: Group calls for equal representation at NASS

A group, Justice Initiative for the Disadvantaged and Oppressed Persons (JIDOP) have faulted the current composition at the Federal House of Representative, saying that it contravenes the provisions of the constitution of Nigeria.

According to the group, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provides that each state in Nigeria should have at most 10 members at the House of Representatives, but what currently, some states have below 10 while others have above 10.

According to them, this development had contributed to the various agitations and restiveness across the country which had led to loss of several lives and properties.

Addressing journalists at a press conference, the Legal Adviser/ Co-Convener of JIDOP, Don Akaegbu said ” there can be no stability within the polity where Kano State has more seats in the House of Representatives than three other States of Gombe, Yobe, and Taraba combined.

“How will there be stability within the polity when Lagos State alone has more seats in the House of Representatives than three other states of Ekiti, Ondo, and Osun?”

He further said that ” the truth is that these facts are beyond numbers. They have far social, political and economic implications. The legal consequences re grave and pose grave danger to the stability and development of Nigeria as a United country.

“The House of Representatives as presently constituted is reflective of inequality and the marginalization complained about by the good people of Nigeria as politics is a game of number.

“The constitutional provisions for the composition of the legislature were flagrantly neglected by INEC and these has occasioned injustice, misallocation of resources, distrust among the component states, agitations and in some extreme cases blood bath”.

Furthermore, the Convener of the Group Lawman Nzenwa said “the basic assumptions of restructuring therefore are that the existing structure is valid and that the existing structure has lost capacity to serve the current challenges”.

He therefore said “the combined failure of the court and INEC to interpret these sections of the constitution has exposed this country to avoidable blood bath under the guise of military operation.

“If INEC had followed the Constitution in delineating the constituencies, northern states such as Adamawa, Gombe, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Plateau, Taraba, Yobe, and Zamfara will have more seats in the House of Representatives than the number they currently occupy.

“Similarly, Southern States of Anita, Cross River, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Ogun, Ondo and Osun stand to increase their seats in the House of Representatives.”

Every well meaning Nigerian and the international community should join hands with us to put pressure on INEC to reconstruct the Legislature. As long as the legislature remains in this present state, stability will continue to elude the polity.

“Agitations will continue. Discomfort with the system will continue. Probably, mass murder of the agitators will continue”, Nzenwa added.