Criticism, Petition Trail Nomination Of PMB’s Aide AS INEC Commissioner

Why Senate rejected her

BY OBUTE JAMES
The opposition against the nomination of President Muhammadu Buhari’s aide, Lauretta Onochie, as a National Commissioner of the South-South for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is increasing day by day as individuals, non-governmental organizations including religious bodies condemned Mr. President’s action and asked the National Assembly to save the democracy and the constitution by rejecting her nomination.
President Muhammadu Buhari penultimate Tuesday asked the Senate to confirm Lauretta Onochie, his media aide, as a commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Buhari’s request was contained in a letter read by Senate President Ahmad Lawan on the floor of the red chamber. Onochie, who is from Delta state, is currently the president’s aide on social media.
The president premised his request on paragraph 14 (1f) of the constitution.
Apart from Onochie, other nominees are Ifeanyi Christian (South-East), Muhammad Gambo (North-East) and Abubakar Ismaeel (North-West).
Buhari also asked the Senate to confirm Mohammed Sani (Katsina), Kunle Ajayi (Ekiti) and Saidu Ahmed (Jigawa) as commissioners of the electoral commission.
In responses to Buhari’s request, the President of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Dr. Samson Ayokunle, called on the Senate to reject her nomination describing it as “an executive recklessness, a dirty slap on the populace, and a gross violation of the 1999 Constitution (as Amended).”
Ayokunle said, “As far as CAN is concerned, Onochie suffers objectivity, justice and fairness that are mandatory for every member of INEC as a result of her partisan membership of a political party and by being an appointee of the ruling party.
“We are equally opposed to her nomination because of her unguarded remarks, public insults on credible individuals and the use of vulgar language and unprintable words against people who express their displeasure to some actions and policies of the government of the day, especially, her principal.
Similarly, pro-democracy group, Concerned Nigerians, condemned the nomination of the Presidential Assistant on Social Media, Onochie.
The group also asked the United States, United Kingdom, and other development partners not to allow the President to destroy the nation’s democracy and the INEC’s independence by his parochial appointment.
In a letter to the US and UK Missions dated October 14, 2020, signed by the Convener, Concerned Nigerians, Deji Adeyanju, the group described Onochie’s appointment as unconstitutional and unacceptable to the generality of the Nigerian people.
It said Onochie is “an openly partisan, card-carrying member of the All Progressives Congress, Nigeria’s ruling party, who constantly attacks and denigrates critics of the ruling party.”
The letter titled, ‘Nomination of Lauretta Onochie: Prevail on President Buhari not to destroy the independence of INEC,’ read in part, “President Muhammadu Buhari’s appointment of his Assistant on Social Media, Lauretta Onochie, as INEC Commissioner from Delta State is a reprehensible attempt to destroy the integrity and independence of Nigeria’s electoral commission.
“Lauretta Onochie is an openly partisan, card-carrying member of the All Progressives Congress, Nigeria’s ruling party, who constantly attacks and denigrates critics of the ruling party.
“Her appointment is in violation of Paragraph 14 of Part 1 of the Third Schedule to the Constitution as amended by Section 30, Act No 1 of 2010, which stipulates that a member of the Independent National Electoral Commission shall be non-partisan”.
Adeyanju submitted that the constitutional provision prohibits a card-carrying member of a registered political party or a well-known supporter of a particular political party from being appointed as a member of the INEC.
“We appeal to you to pressure President Buhari to rescind this appointment as it is capable of reversing the gains made in our electoral processes,” he stated.
The Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, also condemned her nomination and asked Buhari to withdraw her name among nominees sent to the Senate.
Tambuwal, while speaking at the swearing-in of the chairman and members of the Sokoto State Independent Electoral Commission in Sokoto last Thursday stated that Onochie’s nomination by Buhari was morally wrong.
He appealed to Buhari to rise above sentiments and do the needful; “go by the Constitution as President of Nigeria and not the President of the All Progressives Congress to withdraw the nomination of Onochie in the interest of this country.”
In the same vein, about 20 civil society organizations are heading to court in order to stop her confirmation by the National Assembly.
The 20 CSOs, who are heading to court to stop her confirmation by the National Assembly, also petitioned the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan; Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege; Director-General of the Department of State Services, Yusuf Bichi; and the Chairman of the National Peace Committee and former Head of State, Gen. Abubakar Abdulsalami.
The coalition is made up of members such as Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi (Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre); Samson Itodo (Yiaga Africa); Ibrahim Zikirullahi (Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education); Okechukwu Nwagwuma (Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre); Idayat Hassan (Centre for Democracy Development); and Vivian Bello (Social Action).
The groups made their intentions known at a press conference addressed by the Executive Director, Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre and Convener, Say No Campaign, Ezenwa Nwagwu; and Executive Director, Centre for Transparency Advocacy, Faith Nwadishi, on Thursday in Abuja.
Speaking at the conference, Nwagwu said the constitution is clear that no one of a partisan status and of a questionable integrity should be a part of INEC.
This medium also learnt that following the criticism and petitions against Lauretta Onochie’s nomination as INEC Commissioner, the Senate leadership under Senator Ahmad Lawan had advised Buhari to withdraw her nomination on his own.