The House of Representatives on Thursday ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to delineate 66 electoral constituencies it has suppressed in 19 states.

According to the lawmakers, the suppression of the constituencies has limited the participation of Nigerians in governance.

They argued that continuing to suppress the people would be a breach of Section 91 of the 1999 Constitution.

The section reads, “A House of Assembly of a state shall consist of three or four times the number of seats which that state has in the House of Representatives divided in a way to reflect, as far as possible, nearly equal population, provided that a House of Assembly of a state shall consist of not less than 24 and not more than 40 members.”

Kingsley Chinda in his motion said the action by INEC has limited the number of representatives of some states in their state House of Assembly.

He listed the states and the number of suppressed constituencies as “Akwa Ibom (4); Anambra (3); Bauchi (5); Benue (4); Borno (2); Delta (1); Edo (3); Imo (3); Jigawa (3); Kaduna (6); Katsina (6; Kogi (2); Niger (3); Ogun (1); Ondo (1); Osun (1); Oyo (8); Rivers (7) and Sokoto (3).”

Chinda said, “Under-representation in the various state Houses of Assembly due to INEC’s deliberate neglect, refusal and failure has denied the people guaranteed right to adequate representation, and by extension, a denial of their rights to participate in critical issues deliberated by the assemblies.

“In Rivers, we have 13 seats in the House of Representatives, and 32 in the State House of Assembly, where we are supposed to have 39.

“There are states that have gone to court on this matter.”

Azeez