The embattled nominee for the position of National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), Ms Lauretta Onochie, is set to survive the onslaught against her nomination.
The Senate Committee on INEC, led by Senator Kabiru Gaya, on Thursday, screened all the six nominees whose names were sent to the Senate on October 12, 2020, by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Nominees screened along with Lauretta Onochie were Professor Muhammad Sani Kallah, (Katsina); Professor Kunle Cornelius Ajayi (Ekiti) screened; Saidu Babura Ahmad,( Jigawa); Professor Sani Muhammad Adam SAN ( North Central) and Dr Baba Bila, (North East).
Addressing the Committee, Lauretta Onochie who incidentally is President Muhammadu Buhari Personal Assistant on Social Media admitted to being a card-carrying member of the ruling All Progressives Congress. She, however, claimed that she has ceased being a member after President Buhari was returned to office in the last general elections held in 2019.
She disclosed that she served in the Buhari Campaign Organisation but have stopped working for the group.
“I have seen the petitions written against me. It is instructive to note that it also came from members of the APC.
“Nobody has anything to fear if I get this role because I will be working for the people of the South-South to ensure that their votes count, irrespective of religion or political affiliations. I am for due process. That’s why the attack is coming because I follow the law, I follow due process.”
Senators took her to task on her capacity to discharge her functions without bias in INEC if cleared by the Red Chamber.
Onochie maintained that the nation has nothing to fear as she further claimed that she refused to participate in the APC membership registration and revalidation exercise in order to properly exit herself from politics.
Senators were, however, divided on whether she should be cleared or her nomination is rejected.
Former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu called her attention to petitions which faulted her nomination since Delta State was already represented in the commission.
He argued that confirmation of her nomination would breach provisions of the Federal Character Commission, as enshrined in the constitution since it makes provision for all states to be adequately represented in federal government agencies.
“The problem is that your nomination doesn’t respect the right of other states in the south-south to be represented.
The second issue is about your membership in the APC.
Former Bayelsa state governor, Senator Seriake Dickson spoke in a similar vein.
” I would have loved to speak in her favour. The first reason is that she is a woman, the second reason is that she is from my region and she will be representing my people.
“But there are issues with respect to your capacity to be impartial. That’s the situation.
You talk about due process and the law. “But the Constitution requires that you don’t belong to any political party.
Besides that, it requires you to be impartial.
“Again, the zone you represent is made up of six states, the Delta you are supposed to represent already has a Commissioner. Your nomination is therefore not proper since there are other states in the zone.”
She however refuted the claim over double representation for Delta state.
The nominee disclosed that Mrs May Agbamuche-Mbu, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman Legal Services of the Commission, is from Delta but married to a citizen from Cross Rivers State.
“Yes, I am from Delta just like May Agbamuche-Mbu. But she is representing Cross Rivers, not Delta. Her husband is from Cross Rivers State.
“Another question is my capacity to be impartial.
“Since 2019, I have removed myself from politics.
“Since then, I haven’t had anything to do with BMO. I didn’t take part in the APC revalidation exercise. As I am sitting down here, I don’t belong to any political party.”
Confronted with an affidavit she swore to before the Federal Capital Territory, High Court, Abuja Division, on June 30, 2021, where she admitted to being a member of a political party, Buhari’s Personal Assistant on Social Media, insisted that she longer belonged to the APC.
Senator representing Bauchi South, Lawal Yahaya Gumau and his counterpart, representing Anambra South, Ifeanyi Ubah, however, dismissed allegations against Onochie as mere sentiments.
Their counterpart representing Ekiti Central and Chairman Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, asked the Senate to put her on oath to deny her membership of the APC and leave the rest to the Committee to decide.
His colleagues incidentally from the main opposition party however objected to the idea.
Senator Ekweremadu said there was no provision in the Senate rule to compel nominees or anyone invited to swear on oath.
Senator Dickson aligned with the argument as he said the Committee is not an investigating body.
Chairman of the Committee, Kabiru Gaya assured that the Committee would be fair to all nominees in its report to be submitted to the Senate.
A Senator who spoke on condition of anonymity after the screening exercise told Nigerian Tribune that her nomination could sail through.
He said: “The APC national secretariat wrote to us that she isn’t a member of the party. She has also refuted the misconception that Delta is already represented in INEC. The petitions against her were based on those two allegations.”
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