A civil society organisation, Dee Osun Monitors, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to urgently restore the Orolu State Constituency seat in the Osun State House of Assembly ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement issued on Friday and signed by its Coordinator, Prince Jide Adelaja Akinyooye, FCA, the group urged the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN), to comply with a Federal High Court judgment delivered in 2014, which directed the electoral body to conduct elections into the constituency.
According to the organisation, the Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, in Suit No. FHC/OS/CS/10/2013, ruled on May 28, 2014, that the continued existence of 26 state constituencies in Osun State without Orolu State Constituency was illegal.
The court further held that Orolu was not a newly created constituency but one that had already been established by INEC and subsequently suppressed. It consequently ordered the commission to conduct elections into the constituency during the next general election.
Dee Osun Monitors expressed concern that nearly 12 years after the judgment, residents of Orolu Local Government Area remain without representation in the Osun State House of Assembly.
The group described the situation as a violation of Section 91 of the 1999 Constitution and a denial of the democratic rights of the people of Orolu and Irepodun Local Government Areas.
The organisation also noted that although INEC appealed the judgment at the Court of Appeal, Akure Division, in Suit No. CA/AK/110/2017, the appeal did not amount to a stay of execution.
It argued that the judgment ought to have been implemented pending the determination of the appeal, adding that continued reliance on the pending case to deny Orolu representation was unjustifiable.
With preparations for the 2027 general elections already gathering momentum, the group warned that failure to restore the constituency could trigger avoidable constitutional and electoral challenges.
It therefore called on INEC to immediately comply with the Federal High Court judgment, take necessary steps to conduct elections into Orolu State Constituency in 2027, and uphold the constitutional right of the people to legislative representation.
“The restoration of Orolu State Constituency is not a political demand. It is a matter of law, justice, and the fundamental right of citizens to representation,” the statement read.
The group further appealed to the National Assembly, Osun State Government, traditional rulers, and civil society organisations to support efforts aimed at securing the restoration of the constituency.
While commending the current INEC leadership for its commitment to complying with court orders and legal provisions, Dee Osun Monitors warned that refusing to restore Orolu State Constituency despite a subsisting court judgment could amount to a double standard.
The organisation expressed confidence that the electoral commission would act decisively and ensure that the people of Orolu are not denied representation in the 2027 elections.