Creation of new electoral wards: Kogi Professionals Network demands equity from INEC

The Kogi Professionals Network has expressed deep concern over the reported plan by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to create new electoral wards in selected Local Government Areas of Kogi State, particularly in the Western Senatorial District, while largely excluding the Eastern and Central Senatorial Districts, with the notable exception of Okene.

As a pan-Kogi association of professionals drawn from different parts of the state and committed to justice, equity, good governance, and the protection of democratic institutions, we consider this development troubling and warranting urgent public attention.

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Our concern is not about the creation of electoral wards per se. We recognise that population growth, demographic changes a, nd the expansion of communities may necessitate periodic reviews of electoral constituencies and wards. Our concern is the apparent absence of an equitable, transparent and consistently applied basis for determining where such new wards are required.

If new electoral wards are to be created, the exercise must be guided by clearly established statutory criteria, credible demographic data, population distribution, geographical considerations and the actual needs of communities—not by political calculations or the interests of particular individuals or groups.

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It is particularly difficult to understand why the process would concentrate predominantly on one senatorial district while leaving out other parts of the state, including the Kogi East Senatorial District, which has experienced significant population growth and contains some of the state’s most populous communities.

A Pattern That Raises Serious Questions

The current development is even more concerning against the background of the long-running controversy over the suppression of some Local Government Areas in Kogi East and INEC’s alleged failure to give effect to judicial pronouncements relating to their restoration.

Whether viewed individually or collectively, these developments risk creating a perception that electoral administrative decisions are being applied selectively in a manner capable of disadvantaging particular sections of Kogi State.

That perception must not be allowed to take root.

INEC is an institution established to protect the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral system. It must therefore remain above partisan interests and political manipulation. The Commission must not become, wittingly or unwittingly, a tool for engineering electoral advantage for any political interest or geographical section.

Electoral boundaries and wards should facilitate fair representation; they must never be used to manufacture political advantage.

Our Demands

The Kogi Professionals Network therefore calls on INEC to:

1. Publish the full criteria, data and methodology being used in determining the locations and number of proposed new electoral wards in Kogi State.

2. Apply the same criteria uniformly across the three senatorial districts, without favour or discrimination against any geographical, ethnic or political constituency.

3. Review the proposed exercise comprehensively to determine whether communities in Kogi East and Kogi Central that meet the relevant statutory and demographic requirements have been fairly considered.

4. Engage affected communities and stakeholders transparently before taking any final decision on the creation, alteration or delineation of electoral wards.

5. Respect and comply with valid court orders and judgments relating to electoral administration and the status of Local Government Areas in Kogi State.

6. Guard the Commission’s institutional independence by ensuring that electoral boundary decisions are based strictly on law, verifiable facts and objective demographic realities rather than political considerations.

7. Make the process open to public scrutiny, so that Nigerians can be satisfied that the exercise is intended to improve representation rather than alter the political balance of the state.

Kogi Belongs to All of Us

We wish to make it clear that our position is not an attack on any senatorial district, community or political tendency. No section of Kogi State should be denied legitimate development or representation simply because another section is receiving attention.

The principle is simple: what is due to one part of Kogi must be equally available to every other part that meets the same conditions.

Kogi State cannot afford a situation in which electoral structures become instruments of geographical marginalisation. Such a development would not only deepen existing suspicions and grievances but could also undermine confidence in the electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.

We therefore urge the INEC leadership to rise above the immediate political pressures that may surround the exercise and do what is right, lawful and equitable.

INEC must be an impartial referee, not an instrument in the hands of political players.

We call on all stakeholders, traditional institutions, civil society organisations, professional bodies, political parties and citizens across Kogi State to pay close attention to the process and insist on transparency, equity and strict adherence to the law.

The Kogi Professionals Network remains committed to a Kogi State in which every citizen and every geographical constituency enjoys fair representation and equal opportunity.

Equity is not a favour. It is a democratic obligation.

Signed:
Dr James Odaudu
Convener, Kogi Professionals Network

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