Stakeholders in Kogi East has berated the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, over attempt to exclude the Eastern part of Kogi from Ward Creation.
Speaking on the development in an interview, Kogi-born political activist, Comrade Usman Okai Austin, urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, “to ensure equitable representation of Kogi East Senatorial District in the ongoing proposed creation of new electoral wards in the state.”
It would be recalled that recently, the people of the zone were in locked battle with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over constituency suppression.
Okai, in a statement, expressed concern over what he described as “the marginalisation of Kogi East in the proposed ward restructuring exercise.”
He urged INEC to ensure that the exercise was guided by “established legal and administrative criteria, including population density and geographical landmass.”
According to him, “the current proposal appears to disproportionately favour Kogi West and some other areas, a development he warned could generate political tension if not reviewed.”
Okai argued that “there was no justification for excluding Kogi East from the exercise, describing the senatorial district as the most populous and largest in terms of landmass in the state.”
He further called on “the leadership of INEC to maintain neutrality and act in the interest of all the senatorial districts rather than favouring any particular zone.”
The activist also appealed to “political leaders and other stakeholders across Kogi State to speak up for what he described as equity and fairness in the ward-creation process.”