Why We Can’t Delineate More Senatorial Districts, Constituencies- INEC
By Kassim Omomia
- The Independent National Electoral Commission , INEC, has sealed hopes of increasing senatorial districts and Constituencies- in the country, especially ahead of the 2023 elections
The Independent National Electoral Commission , INEC, has sealed hopes of increasing senatorial districts and Constituencies- in the country, especially ahead of the 2023 elections
The election manager said the process is not feasible now except the Constitution is amended to include the process and direct INEC , accordingly
Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC Prof Mahmud Yakubu, stated at a budget meeting with the House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters , where the commission defended it’s N40bn 2021 estimates, that the process can only be feasible if the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 is amended to expand the number of existing senatorial districts and federal constituencies
The INEC boss further told the Committee that the last constituency delineation exercise was done in 1996 in the thirty-six states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory FCT which divided Nigeria into 109 senatorial districts and 360 federal constituencies.
Speaking on the performance of the Commission’s 2020 budget and the 2021 budget, he said that the previous budget was N40.5billion while the 2021 budget is N40 billion which had been reduced to N36.6 billion by government due to Cover 19.
He appealed to the Committee to ensure that funds appropriated for the commission in annual budgets is not slashed and assured of the preparedness of the commission to conduct Anambra State gubernatorial election in 2022.
However, Chairman of the House Committee Hon. Aisha Jibril Dukku in her remark noted that it is only through adequate funding that the Commission can discharge its mandate.
