By Mu’azu Osekalago

Nasarawa State Government has decried what it termed as injustice in the previous delimitation of constituency exercise in the state, saying that the people of the state have suffered enormous deprivations as a result of the anomaly.

Lamenting the situation last week, the Nasarawa State governor, Alhaji Aliyu Akwe Doma, called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the body responsible for the delimitation exercise, to address the injustice it has meted out to the people of the state during the previous exercise.

Specifically, the governor has enjoined the INEC to create additional five (5) federal and ten (10) state constituencies in the state.

Governor Aliyu Akwe Doma made the position of the state known while playing host to the team of Independent National Electoral Commission officials in Lafia, last week.

Governor Doma said INEC did not create the correct number of constituencies during the last delimitation exercise in the state, adding that "the people of Nasarawa have suffered enormous deprivation over the years due to injustice in the creation of federal and state constituencies, as well as ward and polling units".

He applauded INEC for its effort in reviewing federal and state constituencies, saying, "I trust that INEC, this time around, would correct the anomalies suffered by Nasarawa State in the interest of justice and fair play."

He described the review of the number of constituencies (delimitation) embarked upon by INEC as an opportunity for the government and people of Nasarawa State to once more bring to the fore, the political deprivations suffered by the state.

According to the governor, the review of the number of constituencies, polling units and registration areas would "provide the platform for the stability and sustainability of our democracy under the framework of fair and equitable representation."

Justifying the state’s demand for an upward review in the number of constituencies, governor Doma noted that the proximity of Nasarawa State to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, and the rapid increase in the population of the state were factors that must be considered by the INEC during the delimitation exercise in the state.

The governor stated that "the figure of 1.8 million released by the National Population Commission as the state’s population figure, is contestable and unacceptable to his government." He appealed to INEC to adopt the 1991 projected population figure as the parameter for the new delimitation exercise.

"We believe that an objective study of demographic and population movement to the state in the last 12 years, justifies this request," he stated.

Earlier, INEC national commissioner who was also the leader of the team, Honourable Satley Daze, said that INEC was going to address the imbalance in the number of constituencies in the state, adding that, "INEC is committed to fair play and justice."

Hon. Daze who noted that over the years, constituencies creation were done without reliable population data and input of the people, stressed that INEC was going to look into the request put forward by the government and people of Nasarawa State.

Nasarawa State currently has five (5) federal constituencies, twenty four (24) state constituencies and one hundred and forty seven (147) electoral wards.

However, with the present request for upward review, the state was hoping to have ten (10) federal constituency seats, thirty four (34) state constituency seats and three hundred and ninety-five (395) registration areas.