The Federal High Court has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to restore suppressed state constituencies in Kogi State and ensure elections are conducted in the affected areas ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Delivering judgment, Justice Isa Dashen held that INEC must take immediate steps to reinstate the suppressed constituencies and organise elections in 2027 to guarantee fair and proper representation in the Kogi State House of Assembly.
The court expressed concern over the current composition of the Assembly, which has only 25 members, describing the situation as inconsistent with the constitutional expectation of equal representation. The judge noted that evidence presented before the court established the historical existence of the constituencies at the time the state was created.
“Having been proven beyond reasonable doubt, the Independent National Electoral Commission must, without hesitation, conduct elections in the suppressed constituencies in 2027,” Justice Dashen ruled.
Reacting to the judgment, counsel to the petitioner, Ayo Kunle Jonathan, expressed satisfaction with the decision and urged INEC to comply with the court order by initiating preparations for the elections in the affected constituencies.
The Chairman of Kabba Bunu Local Government Area, who filed the suit against INEC and the Kogi State Government, welcomed the judgment, saying the decision had given voice to the long-standing grievances of residents of the suppressed constituencies.
He called on INEC to begin the electoral process without delay, insisting that the ruling had corrected historical injustice suffered by the affected communities.
Following the judgment, the electoral commission is expected to conduct elections in 36 state constituencies in 2027, an increase from the current 25 legislative seats in the state assembly.
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