INEC REC nominees: Lawyers threaten to sue Buhari

A former vice president of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) and Ikeja Branch of the body, Dr Monday Ubani, has threatened to drag President Buhari and the Senate to court if they do not withdraw and reject the nominations of REC nominees deemed to the APC members. 

Reacting to the statements by YIAGA Africa and TMG, Ubani said the 2023 elections are very key to Nigerians in terms of leadership recruitment particularly as it affects electing the next president. 

He called on Nigerians to mount pressure on the National Assembly to reject such persons like they did when an aide of Buhari and known card-carrying member of APC, Loretta Onochie, was nominated as INEC national commissioner. 

“We can’t afford to repeat the mistake we made in 2015. We have all seen where the country has been brought to under Buhari’s rulership. So, we can’t afford to make another mistake in 2023 in terms of electing the next president of the country. 

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“This is why the people who will man the electoral body are very important. We must know who they are because the fairness of the process is important. 

“If I have all the facts about those persons as we had with Onochie, I will be willing to go to court as a public interest lawyer. If I have the facts and evidence that they are questionable in their credentials as personnel that will man INEC offices,” he said. 

Ubani is joined by a former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Oyo State, Michael Lana, who has equally expressed readiness to approach the court to challenge the unconstitutional act by Monday or Tuesday. Lana, who doubles as the Social Democratic Party guber candidate in the state, said the integrity of the 2023 elections would be compromised ab initio if such persons were allowed to man INEC offices. 

“It is unconstitutional and should not be allowed to stand. If the president refuses to withdraw their nomination and the National goes ahead to confirm them, it then means the 2023 general election is already compromised. 

“If I have the details of those people, I will go to court by Monday or Tuesday,” he said. 

Also speaking, the Executive Director of the Centre for Convention of Democratic Integrity, a United Nation-recognised body, Mr Femi Aduwo, said CCDI, among others, “vehemently condemns and opposes the nomination of Muhammad Bashir, the nominee from Sokoto State, who was a gubernatorial aspirant under the APC in the 2015 election. 

“We also oppose Sylvia Agu, the nominee for Enugu State, who is believed to be the younger sister of the APC Deputy National Chairman, South-East, should not be trusted with such sensitive appointment.”