The Member Representing Ankpa, Omala and Olamaboro Federal Constituency of Kogi State, and Deputy Leader of the lower house, Rt. Hon. Abdullahi Ibrahim Ali Halims has intensified efforts to increase the number of law makers from Kogi East in the state House of Assembly. The move is for the restoration of six new State Constituencies in the zone as contained in a 24 February, 2015 Federal High Court, judgement in Lokoja.
The move which will now increase the current number of Kogi East Members of the Kogi State House of Assembly members from eleven to seventeen was contained in a motion titled urgent need for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to restore suppressed six State Assembly Constituencies in Kogi East Senatorial District of Kogi State as seconded by Hon. Aguye Suleiman Danladi of Lokoja/Kogi-kotonkarfe Federal Constituency.
The suppressed State Constituencies are Bassa-nge/Igbirra, Igala Ogba, Enjema, Ugwolawo/Itobe, Ife/Ogodu, Dekina Town & Dekina District Constituencies.
The motion revealed that in the build up to the fourth Republic, INEC restored delineated State Constituencies across the Country in 1996 preparatory to the 1999 general elections noting that six State Constituencies in Kogi State were suppressed during the exercise contrary to the provisions of section 91 and 112 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Furthermore, he noted that the Kogi State Government under the leadership of His Excellency Captain Idris Ichalla Wada approached the Federal High Court Lokoja in an originating sermon with the suit no: FHC/LKJ/CS/35/2014 on 8th October, 2014 and the court in its wisdom delivered her judgement in favour of the Plaintiff(Kogi State Government).
In his prayers, the Deputy House Leader called on the House to resolve on the motion by urging its Committee on INEC and Judiciary to intervene and prevail on INEC to restore these Constituencies as well as urge the House Committee on Legislative Compliance to ensure immediate compliance.
Our Correspondent reports that Kogi House of Assembly currently has 25 members, 11 of which are from the nine local governments of Kogi East. Kogi West with 7 LGs and Kogi Central with 5 LGs have 8 and 6 members respectively.
