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The All Progressives Congress (APC), Oyo State chapter, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) to obey a Federal High Court judgement, delivered on March 8, 2013, which granted the creation of eight additional state constituencies to the state.
In a statement signed by the Caretaker Publicity Secretary, Dr AbdulAzeez Olatunde, on Thursday, Oyo APC said since no equal or superior court decision has set aside the judgement in the last eight years, INEC should have obeyed the court order.
The party said it was alarmed at what might be delaying the compliance with the Federal High Court order because the delay is violation of the operational provisions of “section 91, 112 and 114 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999(as amended) and has unlawfully denied the people of Ibadan North, Ibadan South West, Ibarapa Central, Irepo, Itesiwaju, Oyo East, Saki East and Surulere State Constituencies of proper representation in the Oyo State House of Assembly.”
“Section 112 of the Constitution states that INEC shall divide every state in the federation into such number of State Constituencies as is equal to three or four times the number of Federal Constituencies within the State.
“Section 91 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria states inter alia, that the House of Assembly of a state shall consist of three or four times the number of seats the 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 twenty four and not more than forty members.
“Furthermore, Section 114 of the constitution provides that INEC shall review the division of every state into constituencies at intervals of not less than ten years and may alter such Constituencies under the provision of this section to such extent as it may consider desirable in the light of the review.
“Therefore, considering the fact that Oyo State currently has 32 State Constituencies and 14 Federal Constituencies and believing that, to satisfy the constitutional provisions of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the number of State Constituencies in Oyo State should be 40, being the maximum threshold prescribed by the Constitution.
“Our interest is further aroused because since the inception of the present democratic dispensation on the 29th of May 1999,INEC has failed to review the number of State Constituencies in Oyo State as prescribed by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Since Constitution is the supreme law of the federation and its provisions are binding on all authorities and persons in Nigeria, including INEC and taking cognisance of the fact that failure or refusal of INEC to comply with the 8th of March 2013 judgement and the provision of the Constitution has deprived the people of Oyo State equitable and fair representation in Oyo State House of Assembly,” Oyo APC said.
The party commended the members elected on the platform of the party from Oyo State in the House of Representatives for the wonderful legislation, quality representation, and for being good ambassadors of the state.