The formation of extra constituencies is being considered by the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, according to a statement.
This will help ensure that the people of the state are effectively represented in state government.
The motion proposed by the member representing Ikono State Constituency, Asuquo Nana Udo, during plenary on Tuesday was under Order three (3) rule One (1) of the Standing Order of the Assembly, according to a statement released by the press office of the Speaker, Udeme Otong, on Wednesday.
According to the Ikono lawmaker, the motion entitled,
“The Need to Create Additional State Constituencies in Akwa Ibom State,” is long overdue, to ensure the political advancement of the state since its creation more than thirty (30) years ago.
The motion further stated, “the creation of thirty-nine (39) new political wards across the three (3) Senatorial districts of the State by Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission (AKISIEC) has not only delimited our political wards but has also prepared us for national political expansion.”
Udoh continued, citing Section 91 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (CFRN), which states that “the State Assemblies shall consist of three or four times the number of seats that 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 twenty-four (24) and not more than forty (40) members.”
He made the case that the state is entitled to 31 State Constituencies by citing the CFRN’s Sections 112, 113, and subsection 1 as supporting evidence. He made reference to Katstina State, which was established on the same day and in the same year as Akwa Ibom State and has 34 State Constituency seats.
Otobong Bob, the representative for the Nsit Ubium State Constituency and concurrently the Deputy Leader of the 8th Assembly, commented on the situation and noted that because it is a constitutional issue and not within the purview of the State Legislature, the Akwa Ibom State Caucus in the National Assembly ought to take it up there.
The Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) and other pertinent Government Agencies should be informed of the House resolution, according to the Speaker, Udeme Otong, who also directed the Clerk, Mrs. NsikakAbasi Orok.