The House of Representatives of Nigeria has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to quickly restore previously removed State Constituencies in Ado, Okpokwu, and Ogbadibo Local Government Areas of Benue State.
The decision followed a motion presented by Philip Agbese, who represents the Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency, and was supported by Kelechi Nwogu, a lawmaker from Rivers State.
The House also asked INEC to make arrangements for elections into the restored constituencies during the 2027 general elections.
While leading the debate, Agbese explained that each of the three local government areas originally had two State Constituencies in the past, before a later review reduced them to one each.
He said that Ado, Okpokwu, and Ogbadibo once had separate constituencies such as Ado 1 and 2, Okpokwu 1 and 2, and Ogbadibo and Otukpa constituencies in the Benue State House of Assembly. According to him, this reflected their population size, land area, and cultural identity.
He argued that INEC’s later adjustment, which merged the constituencies, left each local government area with only one representative in the state assembly, despite their large population and wide coverage.
Agbese said this has led to poor representation, unequal access to government projects, and reduced attention to the needs of the affected communities. He added that many residents feel neglected as a result of the current structure.
He also said the situation goes against fairness and the principles of equal representation in a federal system, noting that it has caused growing dissatisfaction among his constituents.
The lawmaker reminded the House that similar issues had been addressed in other parts of Benue State in the past, where constituencies were restored after review.
He therefore called for the return of two constituencies in each of the affected LGAs, saying this would correct past imbalance and improve democratic representation.
After discussion, the House agreed with the motion and directed INEC to restore Ado II, Okpokwu II, and Otukpa State Constituencies.
Lawmakers also asked the electoral body to begin preparations for elections into the restored constituencies in 2027.
To ensure compliance, the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, directed the Committee on INEC to work with the electoral commission, the Benue State Government, the Attorney-General of the Federation, and other relevant bodies to implement the resolution.