By our reporter| The Senate on Tuesday rejected the nomination of Lauretta Onochie as an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) National Commissioner.
Presenting a report on the screening of the nominees during Tuesday’s plenary session, the chairman of the committee on INEC, Senator Kabiru Gaya,(APC Kano), said Onochie’s nomination was rejected because there is a serving INEC commissioner representing Delta state.
The panel recommended Onochie’s disqualification on the grounds that her nomination is in violation of Section 14 (3) of the 1999 Constitution on the Principle of Federal Character.
According to Gaya, in line with the principle of federal character, Onochie could not make the list of confirmed nominees because she comes from Delta State which has already produced a sitting National Commissioner, May Agbamuche-Mbu.
“Her nomination violated the federal character principle and national unity. Other sections of the country has also presented petitions against her nomination.”
“In 2016, we confirmed a national commissioner from Delta State, Mrs. May Mbu, and confirming Lauretta from the same Delta State will violate the federal character,” Gaya said.
Following the committee’s recommendations, the Senate stepped down the confirmation of Prof Adam from North Central on the grounds that it has not cleared the nominee of petitions surrounding his nomination.
Senate President Ahmad Lawan, therefore, mandated the committee to do further legislative action and report back in two weeks.
Onochie’s nomination had sparked a massive outrage from civil society groups, opposition lawmakers, and even some members of the ruling party.
Many had argued that she was “too partisan” to be a commissioner in an important institution like INEC.
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