Despite Pushback, Senate Panel Begins Screening Of Lauretta Onochie, Others For INEC Job

*I Don’t Belong To Any Party — I Quit Politics In 2019 —
Onochie Tells Senate Panel

The senate committee on Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) has commenced the screening of Lauretta Onochie,
a presidential aide.

Onochie was nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari as an INEC
commissioner.

In June, Senate President Ahmad Lawan directed the senate
committee on INEC to screen Onochie — eight months after Buhari
sent her name for confirmation.

The president sent his request for her confirmation in October
2020.

Many Nigerians condemned the nomination on the grounds that
Onochie is partisan. She is a member of the All Progressives
Congress (APC).

The presidential aide will be screened alongside Muhammad
Kallah, Kunle Ajayi, Saidu Ahmad, Sani Adam and Baba Bila — all of
whom were nominated by the president as INEC commissioners.

Owing to the outcry by many over Onochie’s nomination, Ajibola
Basiru, senate spokesman, asked Nigerians to petition the upper
legislative chamber if they think she is not qualified for the
position.

On Tuesday, some CSOs filed a lawsuit against Buhari over the
nomination of Onochie.

In a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/604/2021, filed before a federal
high court in Abuja, the CSOs are asking the court to determine
whether the president “can nominate a card-carrying member or
members of his political party or any other political party in
Nigeria, as a national commissioner or resident electoral
commissioner for the independent national electoral commission”,
contrary to sections 14 (2a), 14 (3), 14 (3b), 14 (4) and Section
154 (1) of the Constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria 1999
(as amended in 2011).

*I Don’t Belong To Any Party — I Quit Politics In
2019 — Onochie Tells Senate Panel

Lauretta Onochie, presidential aide, says she is not a member of
any political party.

Onochie spoke when she appeared before the senate committee on
the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The aide to President Muhammadu Buhari on new media was on
Thursday screened as an INEC commissioner.

Buhari nominated her for the role in October 2020 but the senate
only began working on his request for her confirmation in June.
Many Nigerians had condemned the nomination on the grounds that
Onochie is partisan.

While appearing before the committee, she said the petitions
against her nomination emerged because she follows “due
process”.

“I have seen the petitions against me but I stand for justice
and fairness. Thus nobody has anything to fear,” she said.

“I am madam due process and this is the reason behind my
attacks, because I follow the law and due process.

“I had no partisanship bone in my body until I was invited to
come and work with President Muhammadu Buhari.”

Dissatisfied, Ike Ekweremadu, senator representing Enugu west,
asked Onochie to reject the nomination and “protect the integrity
of the president”.

On his part, Istifanus Gyang, senator representing Plateau
north, presented an affidavit in which Onochie said she is an APC
member.

In response, Onochie said since Buhari was reelected in 2019,
she has not engaged in politics.

“Since Buhari was elected as president for the second term, I
have removed myself from everything about politics,” she said.

“Since 2019, I don’t have anything to do with politics. As I am
sitting down here, I am not a member of any political party in this
country.”

Yahaya Gumau, senator representing Bauchi south, and Opeyemi
Bamidele, senator representing Ekiti north, spoke in Onochie’s
defence.

Opeyemi argued that Mahmoud Yakubu, INEC chairman, worked with
Buhari in different capacities but that did not affect him when he
was nominated as chairman of the electoral commission.

Onochie’s eventual confirmation will be dependent on the
recommendations of the committee.

*I Don’t Belong To Any Party — I Quit Politics In 2019 —
Onochie Tells Senate Panel

The senate committee on Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) has commenced the screening of Lauretta Onochie,
a presidential aide.

Onochie was nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari as an INEC
commissioner.

In June, Senate President Ahmad Lawan directed the senate
committee on INEC to screen Onochie — eight months after Buhari
sent her name for confirmation.

The president sent his request for her confirmation in October
2020.

Many Nigerians condemned the nomination on the grounds that
Onochie is partisan. She is a member of the All Progressives
Congress (APC).

The presidential aide will be screened alongside Muhammad
Kallah, Kunle Ajayi, Saidu Ahmad, Sani Adam and Baba Bila — all of
whom were nominated by the president as INEC commissioners.

Owing to the outcry by many over Onochie’s nomination, Ajibola
Basiru, senate spokesman, asked Nigerians to petition the upper
legislative chamber if they think she is not qualified for the
position.

On Tuesday, some CSOs filed a lawsuit against Buhari over the
nomination of Onochie.

In a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/604/2021, filed before a federal
high court in Abuja, the CSOs are asking the court to determine
whether the president “can nominate a card-carrying member or
members of his political party or any other political party in
Nigeria, as a national commissioner or resident electoral
commissioner for the independent national electoral commission”,
contrary to sections 14 (2a), 14 (3), 14 (3b), 14 (4) and Section
154 (1) of the Constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria 1999
(as amended in 2011).

*I Don’t Belong To Any Party — I Quit Politics In
2019 — Onochie Tells Senate Panel

Lauretta Onochie, presidential aide, says she is not a member of
any political party.

Onochie spoke when she appeared before the senate committee on
the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The aide to President Muhammadu Buhari on new media was on
Thursday screened as an INEC commissioner.

Buhari nominated her for the role in October 2020 but the senate
only began working on his request for her confirmation in June.
Many Nigerians had condemned the nomination on the grounds that
Onochie is partisan.

While appearing before the committee, she said the petitions
against her nomination emerged because she follows “due
process”.

“I have seen the petitions against me but I stand for justice
and fairness. Thus nobody has anything to fear,” she said.

“I am madam due process and this is the reason behind my
attacks, because I follow the law and due process.

“I had no partisanship bone in my body until I was invited to
come and work with President Muhammadu Buhari.”

Dissatisfied, Ike Ekweremadu, senator representing Enugu west,
asked Onochie to reject the nomination and “protect the integrity
of the president”.

On his part, Istifanus Gyang, senator representing Plateau
north, presented an affidavit in which Onochie said she is an APC
member.

In response, Onochie said since Buhari was reelected in 2019,
she has not engaged in politics.

“Since Buhari was elected as president for the second term, I
have removed myself from everything about politics,” she said.

“Since 2019, I don’t have anything to do with politics. As I am
sitting down here, I am not a member of any political party in this
country.”

Yahaya Gumau, senator representing Bauchi south, and Opeyemi
Bamidele, senator representing Ekiti north, spoke in Onochie’s
defence.

Opeyemi argued that Mahmoud Yakubu, INEC chairman, worked with
Buhari in different capacities but that did not affect him when he
was nominated as chairman of the electoral commission.

Onochie’s eventual confirmation will be dependent on the
recommendations of the committee.