ABUJA/Nigeria: The Senate on Tuesday approved the restoration of the Aniocha North II State Constituency in Delta State, in line with a Supreme Court judgment in suit No. SC/129/2019, mandating its reinstatement.
The approval followed a motion titled Restoration of Aniocha North II State Constituency, Delta in Compliance with Supreme Court Judgment, sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko (APC-Delta North) during plenary. The Senate also directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to comply with the resolution, ensuring that the constituency’s restoration takes effect in the next Delta State House of Assembly election, after the current legislative term.
Senator Nwoko, while presenting the motion, recalled that in 2014, residents of several towns in Aniocha North Local Government Area, including Idumuje-Unor, Idumuje-Ugboko, Nkwu-Nzu, Ugboba, Ubulubu, and Ugbodu, initiated a legal battle seeking the restoration of the constituency. Although the Federal High Court dismissed the case, the Court of Appeal in Benin ruled in their favor on November 22, 2017, directing INEC to conduct elections for the constituency. INEC’s subsequent appeal to the Supreme Court was dismissed on November 29, 2019, making the ruling final and legally binding.
Despite INEC convening a stakeholders’ meeting in 2020 and submitting a report to the National Assembly in compliance with the judgment, no action was taken to facilitate the restoration. The Senate has now resolved to seek the concurrence of the House of Representatives as required by the Constitution.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio commended Nwoko for bringing the motion forward, stressing that the Supreme Court ruling must be implemented. He urged Senate management to engage with INEC and collaborate with the House of Representatives to expedite the process. Akpabio also expressed hope that similar cases in other states would be addressed through legal channels.
