Senate Rejects Onochie As INEC Commissioner
Lauretta Onochie
The Senate has rejected the nomination of Lauretta Onochie as an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) National Commissioner.
Presenting a report on the screening of the nominees during Tuesday’s plenary session, the chairman of the committee on INEC, Senator Kabiru Gaya, said Onochie’s nomination was rejected because a serving INEC commissioner is representing Delta state.
The rejection also followed the massive outcry that has trailed her nomination, especially from members of the opposition and civil society organisations who claim she is a card-carrying member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Former INEC Chairman, Attahiru Jega, is among those who had kicked against the nomination.
“This kind of controversy is really avoidable. Any person who generated such a controversy, the appointing authorities should be careful because you don’t want to appoint anybody that can raise suspicions or doubts or can lead to a loss of trust of the electoral management body,” he said on Monday on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
President Muhammadu Buhari had written to the Senate in October 2020, to confirm the appointment of Onochie who is currently his media aide on Social Media, and three others as Commissioners of INEC.
However, in her introductory remarks during her screening last Thursday, Onochie insisted she is not partisan.
While noting that she had seen the petitions against her which were not only from the opposition but also from people in the APC, she said it was because she is known to be non-partisan and someone who insists on due process.
Onochie insisted that since President Buhari won his second term, she has removed herself from all things political.
According to her, from 2019 till date she has not had anything to do with any political organisation and did not partake in APC’s recent validation exercise.
Meanwhile, the Senate also set aside the confirmation of Professor Sani Adam as INEC Commissioner from North-Central.
Professor Sani Adams was dropped because of petitions written against him.
‘Avoid Controversy,’ Jega Advises Buhari To Withdraw Onochie’s Nomination
Meanwhile, the former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Attahiru Jega has advised against the appointment of Lauretta Onochie as a commissioner of the electoral body.
Jega during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today reacting to the appointment of the presidential aide, Lauretta Onochie as INEC National Commissioner, Jega said the controversy trailing her nomination by President Muhammadu Buhari should have been avoided.
He called on the lawmakers to apply the laws regarding the issue, to avoid a situation whereby elections she participates in may be viewed as being bias.
“This kind of controversy is really avoidable. Any person who generated such a controversy, the appointing authorities should be careful because you don’t want to appoint anybody that can raise suspicions or doubts or can lead to a loss of trust of the electoral management body.
“I’m sorry to say that from some of the documents that I have been privileged to see, both about her British citizenship and the very active participation in a political party up until 2019, you will try to avoid appointing such people into an electoral commission — because it can generate controversy.
“To be honest, the president can also withdraw that nomination. After all, there are so many women with credibility, with capacity, competence in both Delta and across Rivers, so why to bring someone that can generate controversy and raise suspicions about the intention of the appointment,” Jega said.
The nomination of Lauretta Onochie who currently serves as Senior Special Assistant on New Media to President Buhari had elicited public criticism from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and civil society organizations who are against her nomination because she is an alleged card-carrying member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and is not proper to be appointed as an election officer.
However, during her screening for the position before the Senate, Onochie said she is not partisan. She admitted that she had seen the petitions against her which are not only from the opposition but also from people in the APC. She said the opposition to her candidacy is because she is known to be non-partisan and someone who insists on due process and the right thing to be done.
PDP Leaders Storm NASS To Protest Onochie’s Nomination As INEC Commissioner
On Wednesday, leaders of the main opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Wednesday stormed the National Assembly in protest.
The leaders are demanding the immediate reversal of President Muhammadu Buhari’s nomination of Lauretta Onochie as National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Lauretta Onochie is currently the media aide to President Buhari on Social Media.
Led by its National Chairman, Uche Secondus, the PDP described the appointment as a travesty on democracy.
Secondus said Onochie being a card-carrying member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) cannot be appointed into a position that requires a high level of neutrality.
He urged the National Assembly leadership to impress on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately withdraw her nomination.
The party also raised concern over the recent defection of some members of the PDP to APC and blamed it on the approach used by APC in luring the defectors.
The party further accused the current administration of impoverishing Nigeria and subjecting the citizens to untold hardship.
Some PDP lawmakers including the Senate Minority leader, Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe were among those who joined in the protest.
President Buhari earlier in October wrote to the Senate to confirm the appointment of one of his media aides, Lauretta Onochie, and three others as Commissioners of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Others are Professor Mohammed Sani (Katsina); Professor Kunle Ajayi (Ekiti), and Seidu Ahmed (Jigawa).
The leaders also submitted a letter stating fully their demands and rejection of the nomination of Onochie. The statement was signed by the National Secretary of the party, Umaru Ibrahim Tsauri.
See the letter below…
The Chairman,
Senate Committee on INEC,
National Assembly Complex,
Three Arms Zone,
Abuja.
Dear Sir,
Rejection Of The Nomination Of Lauretta Onochie As INEC Commissioner
The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has learnt of the nomination of Mrs. Lauretta Onochie as a Commissioner in INEC by Mr. President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The nomination which was read on the floor of the Senate and forwarded to your committee for screening has created a lot of misgivings in the court of public opinion and judgement.
Our Party considers it as important to bring to the attention of your committee the fact that our duty is to let you know that the National Assembly must endeavour to do things right and by the dictates of the laws of the country.
The Nigeria Constitution 1999 as amended clearly prohibits people like Mrs. Onochie, who is very partisan, in fact, a card-carrying member of a political party to be appointed into INEC as an electoral umpire. Section 156(i)(a) and third schedule, Part 1, Item F, Paragraph 14(1) of the Constitution have outrightly disqualified her.
We are, therefore, writing to ask the Chairman to save the Senate President, the Senate itself and Mr. President from being ridiculed.
We call on your committee to reject the nomination of Onochie because she cannot be neutral or independent as she is factually known to be an unrepentant card-carrying member of the APC with an uncountable number of proofs.
Her confirmation will be a wholesome abuse of democratic tenets and dragging the reputation of the President and the Senate in the political mud.
Please, don’t make an avoidable legislative and political mistake for the country.
Kindly, accept the assurances of our highest consideration and esteem regard.
Sen. Umaru Ibrahim Tsauri, CON
National Secretary
Culled from: www.channelstv.com
