Senate Kick Against Lauretta Onochie’s Nomination As INEC Commissioner

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The leadership of the Nigerian Senate has rejected the nomination of President Buhari’s Special Assistant on social media, Lauretta Onochie as National Electoral Commissioner for Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), representing the south-south citing her as a card-carrying party member.
According to Oriental Times, the Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe said that President Buhari, by nominating his aide, has “willfully gone against the constitution”. And therefore, urged the President to withdraw the nomination.
Abaribe said, “President Buhari by nominating Lauretta Onochie has willfully gone against the constitution that he swore to uphold.
“Item F, paragraph 14 of the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) forbids a card-carrying member of a political party to be a member of INEC.
“The Minority Caucus of the Senate is against this nomination and calls on Mr. President to withdraw it.”
Buhari had written the Senate seeking the confirmation of Onochie and three others for INEC job.
Other nominees are Prof. Muhammad Sani Kallah (National Electoral Commissioner), Katsina; Prof. Kunle Cornelius Ajayi (National Electoral Commissioner), Ekiti; and Saidu Babura Ahmad (Resident Electoral Commissioner), Jigawa.
Buhari’s letter, dated 12th October 2020, was read at the plenary on Tuesday.
Recall that the nomination of Mrs. Lauretta Onochie for the said position triggered a lot of reactions from several Nigerians who insisted that she is not qualified to become an election umpire.