By joshua 
Kogi Assembly seats: Usman Okai faults claim that federal constituency cannot have more than four seats
•••Says population, land mass must be considered in representation
Political activist, Hon Comr Usman Okai Austin, has challenged the claim that a federal constituency cannot have more than four seats in a state assembly, describing the argument as misleading and unfair to some communities in Kogi State.
Okai, through his Facebook handle in a statement made available on Tuesday, called on the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Kogi State to properly interpret the law regarding constituency representation and delineation.
According to him, the judgment currently being discussed is focused on restoring allegedly suppressed state assembly seats in areas that have suffered marginalization over the years.
“They’re trying to shortchange us again,” he said.
“The idea that a federal constituency can only have four state assembly seats is false. Population and land area must be considered to ensure fairness and proper representation.”
He argued that federal constituencies with more than four state assembly seats already exist in several states across Nigeria due to factors such as population size, historical delineation, and territorial spread.
Okai listed examples including Lagos State, where Alimosho Federal Constituency covers multiple assembly constituencies, as well as Kano State, Kaduna State, Plateau State, Benue State, Oyo State, and Anambra State.
According to him, with nine federal constituencies, Kogi should ordinarily have at least 27 state assembly seats, adding that the current 36-seat arrangement should not be shared equally without considering population and geographical realities.
He therefore appealed to the Kogi State REC to “do the right thing” by ensuring fair and equitable representation for all affected communities.