No fewer than 14 Civil Society Organisations have asked President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately withdraw the nomination of his aide Lauretta Onochie as a Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The group in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday said that the nomination did not sit well in the recent gains of the electoral system in the country.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Onochie’s nomination was announced on Tuesday in a letter to the Senate by President Muhummadu Buhari.
The leaders of the civil societies, who signed the statement include Executive Director Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA) and Ms Faith Nwadishi, Executive Director of Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre.
Others are the Convener of Say No Campaign, Mr Ezenwa Nwagwu, and the Executive Director Centre for Democracy, Ms Idayat Hassan, among others.
The statement reads: “Whereas it has come to our notice the nomination of Lauretta Onochie by President Muhammadu Buhari as a National Commissioner of INEC, via a letter sent to the Senate leadership for screening and confirmation on Oct. 13.
“We completely reject this nomination, which does not sit well in the recent gains of the electoral system in the country.
“We, therefore, call on the President to withdraw this nomination with immediate effect and in the alternative call on the Senate to act as gatekeepers by not confirming this appointment.
“As civil society actors and veterans in election observation in the country, having contributed to the electoral gains in Nigeria, we condemn this nomination and affirm that this will erode the gains we have made in our electoral reforms.”
“We are, therefore, troubled that Lauretta Onochie, a serving aide of the President who openly supports the President and his political party, has been nominated to the position of National Commissioner, INEC.
“Any INEC National commissioner should enjoy the trust and confidence of all parties concerned (Ruling and Opposition).
“Ms. Onochie failed this critical test with her several open confrontations with opposition elements through the media.
