By Princely Onyenwe | News Desk
IMO STATE, Nigeria — Former Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly and former Minister of State for Education, Rt. Hon. Goodluck Opiah, has petitioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to review the state’s 27 House of Assembly constituencies over an alleged discrepancy with the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
In a letter dated October 14, 2026, addressed to the INEC Chairman in Abuja, Opiah, through his solicitors, Lex Fontis Legal Practitioners, urged the Commission to review the number and boundaries of the existing constituencies.
The petition cited Sections 91, 112, 113, 114 and 115 of the Constitution, arguing that Imo’s 27 constituencies fall short of the minimum number envisaged under Section 112.
According to the solicitors, Imo has 10 federal constituencies, while Section 112 provides for state constituencies to number three or four times the number of federal constituencies in each state. Applying that interpretation, they argued that Imo should have either 30 or 40 state constituencies.
The lawyers also cited Section 113 on constituency boundaries and Section 114(1) on periodic reviews, contending that the existing arrangement requires constitutional scrutiny because, according to them, it has not undergone a comprehensive review since 1999.
They asked INEC to assess the current 27 constituencies, determine the appropriate number and boundaries, and take any necessary administrative and legal steps to address identified discrepancies. They also requested a response within 30 days.
The solicitors said their client preferred a constitutional and administrative resolution rather than litigation.
The petition places Imo State’s constituency structure before the electoral commission for consideration. However, the claim that the existing arrangement falls short of constitutional requirements remains the petitioners’ legal position pending INEC’s response and any formal determination of the issues raised.
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