Forces block appointment of Katsina REC-designate after Senate’s confirmation

Intense lobbying at the presidency is threatening to deny the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Designate from Katsina State, Dr (Mrs) Asmau Sani Maikudi the slot after her confirmation by the Senate on June 20.

Dr. Maikudi, who was one of the 27 nominees forwarded to the Senate in March by President Muhammadu Buhari was confirmed alongside seven others in the second batch of clearance released by the Senate in June.

The Senate had divided the 27 nominees into two batches and confirmed the first 15 on June 1.

On June 20, the Senate confirmed eight of the remaining 12 nominees including Maikudi and deferred the nomination of four others.

Investigations in Abuja however confirmed that while the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) had issued letters of appointment to seven of the REC designates, the letter to Maikudi has not been issued.

It was gathered that intense politicking within the presidency is threatening to deny the only woman among the nominees her slot  as intense politicking among the RECs.

The Katsina nominee was said to have been appointed on merit by President Muhammadu Buhari, who was said to have failed to allow political considerations dictate his choices.

Checks at the office of the SGF confirmed that only seven letters were issued to the RECs while that of Dr. Maikudi was withheld.

A similar fate had befell the REC Designate from Kaduna state, Musa Sadiq, a reappointed nominee, who was said to have discharged his duties diligently when he served under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Sadiq was on the list of 15 REC designates confirmed by the Senate on June 1. His set were already sworn-in as Resident Electoral Commissions of the Independent National Electoral Commissioners (INEC).

One June 20, the Senate confirmed the second batch including Maikudi, Mr Sam Olumekun from Ondo State, Prof. Riskuwa Shehu from Sokoto State, Mr Kassim Geidam from Yobe and Jibrin Zarewa from Kano State, Prof. Samuel Egwu from Kogi, Mr. Mike Igini from Delta and Abdulganiyu Raji from Oyo State.

Of the eight, only Maikudi did not receive her letter of appointment at as at press time on Tuesday.

Last week,  an elaborate programme by INEC to swear in the RECs was frustrated by the failure of the office of the SGF to issue letters of appointment to the REC Designates due to what sources called a sudden trip by the Acting SGF, Dr. Habibat Muda Lawal .

The Director of Press in the Office of the SGF, Mr. Bolaji Adebiyi told the Nigerian Tribune on Tuesday that he was not briefed on the issue.

He said he was unaware of the issuance of the said letters of appointments, asking the newspaper to check with INEC.

Attempts to get clarifications from INEC were unsuccessful as the spokesman to the Chairman of INEC , Rotimi Oyekanmi and INEC’s Director of Publicity, Oluwole Osaze Uzzi did not respond to enquiries.