Politics
Obi Aguocha demands justice, equity over South-East exclusion from census committee
Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Monitoring and Evaluation of House Standing and Ad Hoc Committees, Hon. Obi Aguocha, has raised strong objections to the exclusion of the South-East from the recently inaugurated Presidential Committee on Population and Housing Census. He called for an urgent reconstitution of the committee to reflect equity, fairness, and the federal character principle.
Speaking to journalists, Aguocha, who represents Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South Federal Constituency of Abia State, emphasized that no credible census outcome can emerge from a process that is already tainted by exclusion and imbalance.
“I support the idea that a credible census will ensure equitable distribution of resources and drive national development. But when the process begins with clear marginalization, it is unlikely to yield transparent, fair, or widely acceptable results,” he stated.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had, through his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, inaugurated the Presidential Committee on Population and Housing Census on April 16, 2025. The committee is chaired by the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, with the Chairman of the National Population Commission, Mr. Nasir Isa Kwarra, serving as Secretary.
Other members of the eight-member committee include:
Minister of Information, Alhaji Mohammed Idris Malagi
Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun
Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Dr. Zacch Adedeji
Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote
Principal Private Secretary to the President, Hakeem Muri Okunola
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Administration and Operations (Office of the Chief of Staff), Mrs. Nathan-Marsh
Hon. Aguocha expressed deep concern that no individual from the South-East geopolitical zone was included in the committee, warning that such oversight could further deepen feelings of alienation and distrust among the region’s people.
He appealed to President Tinubu to revisit and reconstitute the committee in line with the spirit of inclusion and federal character to ensure nationwide buy-in and legitimacy for the upcoming census exercise.
Nigeria’s last population census was conducted in 2006, yielding an official figure of 140 million. That exercise, too, was widely criticized for credibility issues, making the upcoming census a crucial opportunity to get it right.
