There is a unison of rejection by Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the leading opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of President Muhammadu Buhari’s nomination of his Personal Assistant on Social Media, Mrs Lauretta Onochie as National Electoral Commissioner for Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Buhari had written the Senate in a letter dated 12th October, 2020, sought the confirmation of Onochie and three others for INEC job. The other nominees announced at Tuesday’s plenary include Prof. Muhammad Sani Kallah (National Electoral Commissioner), Katsina; Prof. Kunle Cornelius Ajayi (National Electoral Commissioner), Ekiti; and Saidu Babura Ahmad (Resident Electoral Commissioner), Jigawa.
Top of those who rose immediately in condemnation of the nomination of the Senate Minority Caucus, Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room and the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).
Calling on President Buhari to withdraw the nomination, Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe, in a short statement, said by nominating his aide, the President has “willfully gone against the constitution.”
Calling Onochie a card-carrying member of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), Senator Abaribe said: “President Buhari by nominating Loretta 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.”
The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, made up of over 70 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) working in support of credible and transparent elections in Nigeria, also rejected the nomination as she is a known partisan supporter of President Buhari and his ruling party, the APC.
In a statement by the Convener, Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, Mr Clement Nwankwo, averred that “Item F, paragraph 14 of the third schedule of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended) forbids a partisan politician as a member of INEC – a body charged under the Constitution to unbiasedly conduct of free and fair elections. Her nomination amounts to a major attempt at undermining efforts to build credibility for an improved electoral process in the country.
“Situation Room calls on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately withdraw her nomination. Should the President fail to withdraw this nomination the Nigerian Senate is hereby called upon to disregard her nomination without any consideration whatsoever. Situation Room is also calling on the Nigerian Senate to investigate all of the other nominations by the President especially as there are concerns that some of these nominations may have been by self-serving interests. It is important for Nigeria that the composition of INEC is transparently non-partisan and independent of partisan political manipulation.”
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), also kicked against the nomination.
Displeased with Onochie’s nomination as INEC Commissioner, SERAP took to the micro-blogging site, Twitter on Tuesday afternoon, describing her appointment as “a serious threat to the independence and integrity of INEC.
“The appointment of a presidential aide as Commissioner to INEC is a serious threat to the independence and integrity of INEC, and to free and fair elections in Nigeria.
“It also undermines Nigerians’ right to participate in their own government. @nassnigeria should reject this.”