The Abua/Odual Development Forum [ADF] has written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) through its committee on Review Of Suppress Constituencies over Abua/Odual State Constituency II seat in the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The group in a letter signed by Barr. N.E. Romeo express their displeasure over the suppression of the Abua/Odual State Constituency II by the National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (NECON) which has left the peoples of the local government area with a single state constituency in the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The group is calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Committee for the Review Suppressed Constituencies to review and restore the suppressed Abua/Odual State Constituency II in the Rivers State House of Assembly in consideration of the hardship done by the said suppression.
Below is the letter:
IN THE INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION
IN THE REVIEW OF SUPRESSED CONSTITUENCIES COMMITTEE
HOLDEN AT ABUJA
IN THE COMMUNICATION OF:
THE ABUA-ODUAL DEVELOPMENT FORUM (ADF) (submitted for and on behalf of the peoples of Abua/odual Local Government Area of Rivers State)
TO
THE CHAIRMAN
REVIEW OF SUPPRESSED CONSTITUENCIES OF THE INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION, ABUJA
DATED
8TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2017
IN THE INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION
IN THE REVIEW OF SUPPRESSED CONSTITUENCIES COMMITTEE
HOLDEN AT ABUJA
IN THE COMMUNICATION OF:
ABUA-ODUAL DEVELOPMENT FORUM (ADF) (submitted for and on behalf of the peoples of Abua/odual Local Government Area of Rivers State)
1.00 PREAMBLE
1.01 Abua/Odual Local Government Area was created on 23rd September, 1991 by the Armed Forces Ruling Council, Chaired by Gen. Ibrahim Badamosi Babaginda (GCFR) who also doubled as the Military President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria. Like all constitutionally recognized local government areas and councils in the federation, it is listed in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended). (See section 3 of the seventh schedule to the Constitution).
1.02 Abua/Odual Local Government Area is made up of seven distinct districts or clans with Ogbo-Abuan (Central Abua) as its administrative and traditional headquarters. The local government area has sophisticated traditional institutions with two first class recognized traditional stools from two different clans to oversee all traditional issues in the local government area.
1.03 Politically and for the purposes of elections, the seven distinct districts or clans of Abua/Odual Local Government Area are delineated into thirteen wards (13) for the purposes of representation to the Abua/Odual Local Government Area Legislative Council and also as electoral centres for both state and national elections. Presently, as in all local government areas in the state, there is a Care-Taker Committee (CTC) in place to see to the day to day administrative running of the Abua/Odual Local Government Area.
1.04 As it stands, the local government area is grossly under represented both in the state and national levels of parliament, that is, the Rivers State House of Assembly and the House of Representatives. However, we pray the Committee to permit us unequivocally submit that our chief concern in this communication is the suppression of the Abua/Odual State Constituency II by the National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (NECON) which has left the peoples of the local government area with a single state constituency in the Rivers State House of Assembly.
1.05 It is important to note, that the said suppression was effected in spite of the high population coupled with the appreciable geometrical growth at the time. (See the National Census figures of 1991) Sadly too, it is safe to also state that the said suppression was iniquitous on the ground that Abua/Odual Local Government Area maintained a steady higher population distribution in comparison to some local government areas with more than one state constituency in the Rivers State House of Assembly and coupled with smaller landmass.
1.06 Despite the clear injustice done to the Abua/Odual peoples and, the various protests registered at the time of the suppression of the said Abua/Odual State Constituency II and afterwards. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has neglected to take any practical step to address the injustice suffered by the peoples of the local government area as a result of the actions of its successor, the National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (NECON) even when it is constitutionally empowered to so do. (See sections 91, 113 & 114(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended)). It should be stated that Abua/Odual Local Government Area is overdue for a state constituency review by all constitutional and equitable parameters.
1.07 The inadequate representation occasioned by the suppression of the aforesaid Abua/Odual State Constituency II has brought great hardship to the peoples of Abua/odual Local Government Area. The burden of representing the various peoples making up the local government area is grossly inadequate and unjust in the light of the diverse cultures, landmass, terrain, population and development realities the Abua/Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State. An additional state constituency will undo the injustice.
1.08 Hence, in line with the objectives and programmes of the Abua-Odual Development Forum (ADF) after various consultations and meeting with stakeholders and leaders of the Abua/Odual Local Government do through Romeo Need Esq. of E.D. Unwene & Co whose office address is Suit 220,NIPOST Building, Station Road, Port Harcourt submits this communication to the Committee on the Review Suppressed Constituencies of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for and on behalf of the peoples of the Abua/Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State of Nigeria.
2.00 BACKGROUND
2.01 The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in its wisdom established the Committee to Review suppressed Constituencies in the Country.
2.02 Owing to its high population, landmass, terrain, diverse cultures, and development realities, Abua/Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State was deservedly delineated into two state constituencies termed Abua/Odual State Constituency 1 & II to provide for a lawful, equitable and adequate representation in the Rivers State House of Assembly by the National Electoral Commission (NEC), earlier successor to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during the 1991-1993 transition programme.
2.03 In the national elections conducted by the said National Electoral Commission (NEC) only two parties that is, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and National Republican Convention (NRC) were registered and recognized for the purposes of conducting elections into political offices at the time. In Abua/Odual Local Government Area Hon. Raphael Muzuan Ekpelu and Hon. Graham Tom Abigo were respectively elected under the platform of the National Republican Convention (NRC) into the Rivers State House of Assembly for Abua/Odual State Constituency 1 and II.
2.04 This two state constituencies adequately provided the representation needed by the Abua/Odual peoples. However, to the surprise of the peoples of the local government, the regime of late Gen. Sani Abacha (of blessed memory) and its National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (NECON) which was solely responsible for the organization, management and control of the political parties and also the delineation of constituencies in the country and election into such constituencies curiously and unlawfully suppressed the Abua/Odual State Constituency II. The said National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (NECON) gave no ground(s) for the suppression of the Abua/Odual State Constituency II.
2.04 The aforesaid suppression was done without any lawful notice or considerations for the peculiarities as to population, size, cultures, terrain, development realities and adequate political representation allowed by the Constitution, relevant laws and guidelines.
2.05 Understandably, the unlawful suppression evoked instant protest from the peoples of the Abua/Odual Local Government Area and the direct beneficiaries of the Abua/Odual State Constituency II but the National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (NECON) and the present successor, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has neglected to undo the gross injustice done to the peoples of Abua/Odual Local Government Area by re-instating the Abua/Odual State Constituency II. (See the 2006 national census figures.)
3.00 PRAYERS/DEMAND FOR RESTORATION OF ABUA/ODUAL STATE CONSTITUENCY II IN THE RIVERS STATE HOUSE OF ASEMBLY
3.01 We respectfully and strongly pray the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Committee for the Review Suppressed Constituencies to review and restore the suppressed Abua/Odual State Constituency II in the Rivers State House of Assembly in consideration of the hardship done by the said suppression.
3.02 Further to the above, we seek the Committee’s leave to point out that other local government areas with a lesser population in Rivers State enjoy more state constituencies in the Rivers State House of Assembly than Abua/Odual Local Government Area.
3.03 Thus, it is our belief that the restoration of the Abua/Odual State Constituency II as an additional state constituency in the Abua/Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State would correct the inadequate representation of the Abua/Odual peoples in the Rivers State House of Assembly. (I again urge the Committee to see the representation in the Rivers State House of Assembly in comparison to the population distribution)
4.00 CONCLUSION
4.01 We respectfully urge the Committee to hold that:
4.02 The Abua/Odual State Constituency II in the Rivers State House of Assembly created by the National Electoral Commission (NEC) was deservedly created in accordance with the law, equity, culture and political correctness of the Abua/Odual peoples of Rivers State.
4.03 The suppression of the Abua/Odual State Constituency II in the Rivers State House of Assembly by the National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (NECON), the successor of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) was done in disregard to the law, equity, culture and political correctness and male fide in the circumstances of this case.
4.04 The single Abua/Odual State Constituency in the Rivers State House of Assembly is grossly inadequate to represent the high population, linguistic, cultural and political diversity of the entire peoples of Abua/Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State.
4.05 The immediate restoration of the Abua/Odual State Constituency II in the Rivers State House of Assembly will serve the interest of constitutional compliance, justice, equity, political correctness and population distribution.
4.06 May the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) be pleased to restore the Abua/Odual State Constituency II in the Rivers State House of Assembly.
DATED this 8th February, 2017
N.E. Romeo Esq.
E.D. Unwene & Co
Suit 22O Nipost Building
Station Road, Port Harcourt
081 6551 3941
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