Kogi indigenes from several local government areas have submitted a formal protest letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), demanding immediate restoration of what they describe as “suppressed constituencies” across the state.
At a press conference held on Thursday at the INEC office in Lokoja, a delegation of legal practitioners and local government officials argued that the current composition of the Kogi State House of Assembly violates constitutional provisions and undermines equal representation.
Speaking during the Press Conference, Barr. Zaccheaus Dare, Executive Chairman of Kabba/Bunu Local Government area, said the group acted “in solidarity with all suppressed constituencies whose representation has been denied for decades.”
He pointed to Section 91 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which stipulates that each federal constituency should have three or four corresponding state constituencies.
He noted that many local government areas in Kogi state especially in Kogi Central and Kogi West remain significantly underrepresented.
Dare referenced the 1991–1992 legislative structure, noting that constituencies such as Kabba 1 & 2, Ijumu 1 & 2, Mopamuro 1 & 2, and Koton-Karfe 1 & 2 once existed but have since been abolished.
“The fairness, justice, and equity envisaged by the Constitution have been murdered in Kogi State,” he said. “Six constituencies were suppressed in Kogi Central alone, and four in Kogi West. This has left the State Assembly improperly constituted for a long time.”
He warned that the situation threatens the legality of Assembly proceedings, as laws passed without a properly constituted quorum could be invalidated if challenged in court.
Also speaking, Ayokunle Jonathan, a Lokoja-based legal practitioner, added that Kogi currently has just 25 Assembly members—well below the number expected under Sections 91 and 114 of the Constitution.
Despite multiple election cycles since the state was created, he said the suppressed constituencies—spanning Kogi Central, Kogi West, and including Bassa in Kogi East have not been restored.
The stakeholders emphasized that they are not demanding the creation of new constituencies, which would require constitutional amendment, but rather the reinstatement of previously recognized constituencies in the state.
They urged INEC to act before the next general election and appealed to Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo to support the call for equitable representation.
“The law does not consider population alone; it seeks equal representation and fairness,” Jonathan said. “We are simply asking for the restoration of what existed before so every constituency in Kogi State can have a voice.”
It will be recalled that during a recent plenary, Hon. Seyi Bello of representing Kabba/Bunu Constituency in the Kogi State House of Assembly moved a motion calling on INEC to immediately restore 12 suppressed constituencies in line with constitutional provisions and earlier court judgments.
He described the issue as a longstanding constitutional and democratic injustice that has denied many communities proper representation for over two decades.
The Assembly also urged INEC to commence and conclude the necessary delimitation exercise and called on the Kogi State Government to formally engage the Commission using previous court rulings and National Assembly resolutions as support instruments.
