The Senate after considering the report of its Committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Tuesday, confirmed the appointment of five National Commissioners for the nation’s electoral umpire.
The nominees of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), who were confirmed were, Prof. Muhammad Sani Kallah (Katsina); Prof. Kunle Ajayi ( Ekiti); and Saidu Ahmad (Jigawa), Baba Bila (North East) and Abdullahi Zuru (North- West).
The Senate, however, rejected the nomination of Lauretta Onochie as an INEC National Commissioner.
Onochie was rejected following the consideration of the report of the Committee on INEC, chaired by Senator Kabiru Gaya (APC, Kano), that she did not satisfy the provisions of the Federal Character Principles.
The Senate at the committee of the whole subsequently voted against her nomination.
Also, the Senate, following the recommendation of its panel, stepped down the confirmation of Professor Sani Adam from North Central because of the petitions against him.
REPORTERS AT LARGE recalls that former Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega has advised against the appointment of Lauretta Onochie as a commissioner of the electoral body.
He said the controversy surrounding her nomination was not good for the integrity of elections she might oversee if confirmed.
Many Nigerians have also opposed the nomination on the grounds that Onochie was a member of the All Progressives Congress.
But when she appeared before the senate screening committee last Thursday, Onochie said contrary to public claims, she didn’t belong to any political party.
Reacting to the development, Jega said it was likely that any election she supervised would generate controversy.
