The Senate on Tuesday said the nomination of Lauretta
Onochie, an aide to the President, Muhammadu Buhari, was
rejected because of her partisanship and breach of federal character principle.
Onochie’s nomination had attracted condemnation from a large
section of Nigerians who argue that she is too partisan to be an INEC
commissioner.
In a statement titled, ‘Senate confirms five nominees as
INEC Commissioners, rejects Lauretta Onochie’, by Ezrel Tabiowo, Special
Assistant (Press) to President of the Senate, on Tuesday.
The statement quoted Chairman of the Committee, Senator
Kabiru Gaya (APC, Kano South), as saying that the committee also received
several petitions against the nomination of Onochie.
He disclosed that the petitions against Lauretta Onochie were
against the backdrop that her involvement in politics and alleged membership of
a political party.
He explained further that her nomination violated the
Federal Character Principle as there is already a serving National Electoral
Commissioner from Delta State, Barr. Mary Agbamuche-Mbu who was screened and
confirmed by the 8th Senate.
“In the case of Ms. Lauretta Onochie’s, having studied her curriculum vitae and other relevant documents, followed by exhaustive interaction around the petitions against her nomination which she responded to accordingly, including attesting that she is not a registered member of any political party”, Gaya said.
According to the lawmaker, the Committee bound by the
provisions of Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria (as Amendment) on Federal Character Principle, refused to recommend
Onochie for confirmation.
“Therefore, based on the provisions of Section 14(3) of the
1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as Amended) on Federal
Character Principle as earlier stated, and in order for the Committee and the
Senate to achieve fairness to other states and political zones in the country,
the committee is unable to recommend Ms. Lauretta Onochie for confirmation as a
National Electoral Commissioner for the Independent National Electoral
Commission,” he explained.
However, the Senate confirmed five other nominees followed
the consideration of a report by the Senate Committee on INEC.
The Red Chamber also suspended the nomination of Prof. Sani
Muhammad Adam (North Central) for further investigation by the committee.
Those confirmed include Professor Abdullahi Abdu Zuru (North-West),
Prof. Muhammad Sani Kallah (Katsina), Prof. Kunle Cornelius Ajayi (Ekiti), Dr.
Baba Bila (North-East), and Saidu Babura Ahmad (Jigawa).
On the nomination against Prof. Sani Muhammad Adam, the
committee recommended that “his confirmation be stepped down pending further
legislative action by the committee.
“Accordingly, the Senate while confirming the five nominees,
adopted the recommendations of the Committee by rejecting Onochie’s nomination
and stepping down that of Professor Adam for further action.”
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