HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES URGES INEC TO COMMENCE THE PROCESS OF REVIEWING UPWARD THE NUMBER OF STATE CONSTITUENCIES ACROSS THE FEDERATION.

The House of Representatives has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC to commence the process of reviewing upward the number of state constituencies across the Federation.

The resolution follows the consideration of a motion at Wednesday plenary which specifically called for increase in Oyo State by creating additional eight states constituencies to comply with the provisions of section one hundred and twelve to one hundred and fourteen of the 1999 constitution.

The motion sponsored by fourteen lawmakers ahead of the 2023 General Election was however, commended to reflect an upward review of state constituencies nationwide.

Moving the motion on behalf of others, Ajibola Muraina noted that section one hundred and twelve of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, provides that the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC is expected to divide every State of the Federation within ten years into some number of state constituencies.

He said that the discharge of the constitutional duty by INEC which may hold in the first quarter of 2021 is subject to the consequential approval of the National Assembly, hence, the process should be commenced and conducted before the statutory period prescribed for the conduct of the next general election in Nigeria.