BREAKING: Why We Rejected Buhari’s Nominee, Onochie As INEC Commissioner – Senate
The Senate on Tuesday rejected Lauretta Onochie’s nomination as an advisor to President Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) due to her partisanship and violation of the federal character principle.
On Tuesday, Ezrel Tabiowo, Special Assistant (Press) to the President of the Senate, issued a statement headed, “Senate confirms five nominations as INEC Commissioners, rejects Lauretta Onochie.”
Senator Kabiru Gaya (APC, Kano South), the committee’s chairman, was reported in the statement as adding that the committee had received multiple petitions opposing Onochie’s nomination.
He revealed that the petitions against Lauretta Onochie stemmed from her political participation and purported membership in a political party.
He went on to say that her nomination violated the Federal Character Principle because the 8th Senate had already screened and confirmed a serving National Electoral Commissioner from Delta State, Barr. Mary Agbamuche-Mbu.
“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.
