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The State
Chief Executive in the position paper also
suggested that criteria such as administrative
and traditional boundaries, similarity of
historical, cultural and ethnic affinity,
equality of voting strength and national and
physical features be considered as guiding
principles in the delimitation of
constituencies.
Governor
Alao-Akala assured that his administration would
continue to offer quality contribution to
policies and programmes that have the capacity
to strengthen democratic values and institution
in Nigeria.
While
commending the INEC for organizing the
interactive session, Governor Alao-Akala posited
that the purpose of raising such stakeholders’
platform could not be underestimated as it would
give the citizens the opportunity to participate
in the discussion of the project with a view to
throwing more light on what to be done to
achieve fairness and balance in the structure of
democratic representation.
In his
remark, the National Commissioner for Oyo, Ondo
and Ekiti States and Chairman delimitation
Committee Prince Adedeji Soyemi explained that
the exercise became imperative due to the fact
that previous delimitation of constituency were
conducted by the military administrations
without the active participation of a wide
spectrum of stakeholders.
He observed
that it was the first time in a democratic
setting that imbalance and structural defects
observed in the constituencies were addressed
despite the fact that the constitutions mandates
INEC to review constituency delineation at
intervals of not less than ten years.
In his
address, the INEC Resident Electoral
Commissioner for Oyo State Deacon Martins
Okunfolami said that structure and composition
of constituencies would be reviewed in the light
of emerging fundamentals and political
realities, pointing out that the restructuring
of the present constituencies would ensure the
demarcation of Oyo State into identifiable
constituencies’ boundaries.
He assured
that the commission would painstakingly examine
all the submitted request without bias, adding
that the requests would be considered and
treated on their merits. |
