From Teryima Ajijah, Jos
Constituents of Irigwe/Rukuba state Constituency in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State have said they have been denied equal representation at the state legislature for about seven months.
One of the constituent, a former Member, House of Representatives for Jos/Bassa Constituency, Lumumba Adeh, made the position of the constituency public, on Friday, when he wrote to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for bye-election to be held to fill the existing vacancy.
The piece purportedly sent to INEC explained that the vacancy was due to resignation of the former legislator, who sought higher representation at the national level.
“Following the resignation of the former member, the seat was consequently declared vacant by the Plateau State House of Assembly and INEC duly notified on March 22, 2022,” the statement said.
According to the former federal lawmaker, the act was sabotage to the yearnings and aspirations of the electorates, and he blamed INEC for the delay.
“We the constituents had hinged our hopes on the constitutional provisions to prepare for a bye-election within the stipulated time only to soon realize that your commission was not willing to immediately help fill the vacancy,” he stated.
He explained why the INEC should hurry and conduct the said election. “This delay and its attendant deprivation has caused us the constituents a lot of concern and pain which has led to a high level of apprehension, in view of the realization that the conduct of a bye-election may soon become constitutionally out of time,” he said.
He said INEC have no reason not to have conducted the bye-election till now. “I note with all sense of responsibility that insecurity which could have been a ready excuse was not tenable because the constituency and indeed the state has enjoyed relative peace and calm since 2021; hence the peaceful and successful conduct of the Bassa/Jos North Federal Constituency election in February 2022,” he maintained.