The Senate has approved the restoration of Abraka State Constituency in Ethiope East Local Government Area from the present Ethiope East State Constituency, in line with the orders of the Federal High Court.
The approval was reached in resolutions reached by the Upper Chamber following consideration of a motion sponsored by the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege (APC – Delta Central).
Omo-Agege has in his motion recalled that prior to 1999, Abraka State Constituency in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State was a separate and distinct State Constituency with an elected member in the Delta State House of Assembly.
He further stated that as at 1992/1993, the densely populated Abraka State Constituency in Ethiope East Local Government Area was duly represented in the Delta State House of Assembly by Honourable Emmanuel Akpor Ifeta, but the constituency was arbitrarily and unjustifiably suppressed and collapsed into the present Ethiope East State Constituency in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State during the 1999 General Elections and it has remained so since then;
Omo-Agege further asserted that, “Following persistent agitations by concerned leaders, electorate and stakeholders of the highly populated Abraka State Constituency in Ethiope East Local Government Area, leading to legal contestations, the Federal High Court, Warri on the 5th day of March, 2015 rendered a decision to suit No: FHC/WR/32/2014 between Comrade Bayo Eyube & 2 ORS v. Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) directing INEC to restore the suppressed Abraka State Constituency in Ethiope East Local Government Area as a distinct State Constituency.”
The Senate after consideration of the motion, accordingly, approved Abraka State Constituency in Ethiope East Local Government Area, consisting of INEC’s present Abraka Ward 1, Abraka Ward 2 and Abraka Ward 3.
The Upper Chamber also resolved that the status should remain in the remaining part of the present Ethiope East State Constituency in Ethiope East Local Government Area, consisting of INEC’s Ward 4 (Okpare Inland), Ward 5 (Obi), Ward 6 (Kokori Inland), Ward 7 (Orhuoakpor), Ward 8 (Okpara Waterside), Ward 9 (Eku), Ward 10 (Egba/Samagidi) and Ward 11 (Isiokoro).
The Senate also urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to comply with its resolution ahead of the next general election and election of the members of the next Delta State House of Assembly in compliance with section 115 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
