Member that represents the federal constituency of Degema/Bonny of the State of Rivers in the House of Representatives, the representative Cyril Hart has formally requested the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the review committee of the Constitution of the Chamber, which creates two new state constituencies in Rivers.
The proposed constituencies are the constituency of the state of Degema II and the constituency of the state of Bonny II.
Hart in a letter dated July 7, 2025, addressed to the President of the INEC, Professor Mahmoud Yakubu and received by the electoral referee on July 10, 202 establishes that the request was necessary for the provisions of Section 114 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which Inec requires periodically reviewing the state constituences at intervals not less than not less than ten years.
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The legislator quoted sections 91 and 112 of the Constitution, which also stipulates that a Chamber of the Assembly of a State will consist three or four times the number of seats that the State has in the House of Representatives.
He also said that the creation of the constituency of the state of Degema II and the constituency of the state of Bonny II would improve the representation and provision of services for the people of Degema and the areas of local government of Bonny.
The letter obtained by our reporter in Abuja says: “I write to formally request the creation of a new state constituency, to be appointed by Bonny State Cutchuency II, in the Local Government (LGA), Rivers State, Nigeria area. This request is made by virtue of the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as it was loved) Effective governance
“The proposed circumscription aims to address the growing population, the unique geographical challenges and the socio -economic needs of Bonny Lga, promoting greater democratic participation and representation for its residents.
“Bonny LGA, located in the state of Rivers, is a historical and economically significant region, which houses critical national assets such as the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Project (NLNG) and serves as a center for oil and gas activities. Despite its importance, Bonny Lga currently operates as a single state constitution, which is increasingly inadequate to meet the representative needs of its different population.
“The creation of the constituency of the State of Bonny II is a critical step to guarantee an equitable representation, to promote inclusive governance and promote sustainable development in Bonny Lga. Given the mandate of INEC to maintain democratic principles and guarantee a fair representation, I am sure that this request will receive the attention and action that it deserves under its estimated leadership.”
Previously in a commitment to the members of their voters in Abuja on Friday, Hart said that he has provided sufficient justification for the creation of the new state groups.
“My dear components in the areas of Degema and Bonny Local Government, as they know, the National Assembly is in a process of review and amendment of the Constitution.
“I have activated section 114 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which requires INEC to periodically review state constituencies at intervals of no less than ten years.
“In addition, sections 91 and 112 CFRN, ​​which stipulates that an assembly chamber of a State will consist of three or four times the number of seats that this State has in the House of Representatives but that should not exceed forty seats/members.
“The state of Rivers has 13 seats in the House of Representatives and, therefore, must have 39 state electoral districts and not 32 seats such as the INEC Delineate more than 20 years ago.
“As you can see, the Rivers State Assembly Chamber is poor in 7 seats and does not comply with the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution.
“Therefore, in the light of the above, I have requested through the INEC and the review committee of the Constitution of the House of Representatives for the creation of the constituency of the State of Degema II, and the constituency of the State of Bonny II.
“Do not ignore bottlenecks associated with the creation of states and constituencies. I have provided sufficient justification to support this request,” he said.