After a prolonged legal tussle, a federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Friday restored the Nsukka South State Constituency in the Enugu State House of Assembly.
The development threw residents of the area into jubilation, as they described it as a long awaited justice.
The constituency has long been in existence but it was one of the state constituencies denied recognition by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Following the prolonged de-recognition of the constituency by INEC, Hon. Cosmas Agbo and five others approached the Federal High Court Abuja, presided over by Justice Gabriel Kolawole, asking for the restoration of the constituency.
INEC was listed as the respondent in the suit filed and listed as FHC/ABJ/CS/281/2015: Hon. Cosmas Agbo & 5 others vs. INEC.
In his ruling, Justice Kolawole amongst other reliefs, granted in the suit, ordered the defendant (INEC) to formally notify the National Assembly of the order of court within 90 days with a view to having Nsukka South State Constituency listed for general elections in 2019.
Justice Kolawole further stated that the state constituency just restored now brings the number of state constituency seats in the Enugu State House of Assembly to 25 from its previous 24 seats.
Reacting, member representing, Nsukka East in the State House of Assembly, Hon. Chinedu Nwamba, described the judgment as a welcome development.
“It is a welcome development. I was one of those who went to court to challenge its suppression by INEC. I am one of the plaintiffs. The Nsukka South state constituency has been in existence long ago but by omission or error, I don’t know what happened, INEC stopped conducting elections there.
“We protested against it. We petitioned and when nothing happened, we went to court and I am happy that today during my tenure in the House, it has been restored. It is a welcome development”, Nwamba said.
The decision of the Court brings the number of seats in Enugu State House of Assembly to 25 from its previous 24.
Out of the 25, Enugu North (Nsukka) senatorial zone has 10 state constituencies while the remaining two senatorial districts -Enugu West and Enugu East-have 15 state constituencies.
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