By Haruna Salami
The Senate Wednesday received the request of President Muhammadu Buhari for the confirmation of Lauretta Onochie, (Delta State), and five others for appointment as INEC national commissioners.
Other nominees include Prof. Muhammad Sani Kallah (Katsina states), Prof. Kunle Cornelius Ajayi (Ekiti state), Saidu Babura Ahmad, mni (Jigawa state), Prof. Sani Muhammad Adam (North Central zone, and Dr. Baba Bila (North East zone).
The President’s letter read by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan is “in accordance with Paragraph 14 Part I (F) of the Third Schedule to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended”.
However, the Senate Minority Leader, Enyinaya Abaribe, before seconding the motion to refer Buhari’s request to INEC Committee said “it is when we have passed the evil forest that the devil still catch us.(sic)
“In seconding this motion, we have dealt with the matter of nomination of Lauretta Onochie. So, we feel surprised that the same name resurfaced no longer as INEC national commissioner, but now as a Delta State commissioner. Mr. President, reluctantly I second this motion that this nomination be referred to the relevant committee for action, and shall meet in Philippi”.
The Senate President, in response to the Minority Leader’s comment, however clarified that “the nominees are not state electoral commissioners, but INEC national commissioners and there was no change in request”.
