INEC Job: Jega Asks Senate To Reject Onochie

*Onochie’s nomination had sparked outrage from civil society
groups, opposition political parties and even within the ruling All
Progressives Congress (APC)….

Prof Attahiru Jega, a former Chairman of the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC), has asked the Senate not to
confirm Lauretta Onochie as a National Commissioner of INEC.

Onochie, who was nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari, was
among those screened at the upper legislative chamber of the
National Assembly on Thursday.

There is a rumor that the result of the screening would be out
on Tuesday.

Onochie’s nomination had sparked outrage from civil society
groups, opposition lawmakers and even within the All Progressives
Congress (APC).

Many have argued that she is “too partisan” to be a commissioner
in an institution like INEC.

But Buhari has refused to withdraw the appointment of one of his
aides despite the pressure.

When he featured on Sunday Politics, a Channels Television
programme, Jega spoke on the controversy over Onochie’s
nomination.

“This kind of controversy is really avoidable. Any person who
generated such a controversy; the appointing authorities should be
careful because you don’t want to appoint anybody that can raise
suspicions or doubts or can lead to a loss of trust of the
electoral management body,” he said.

He added that the president could withdraw Onochie’s nomination
and replace her with another female from her state.

Electronic transfer of results.

The former INEC chairman commended the National Assembly for
taking steps to review the Electoral Amendment Act (2010) as
amended but faulted the exclusion of electronic transfer of
results.

He said the decision of the 9th Assembly to allow INEC to use
electronic voting without the electronic transmission of results is
counterproductive.

“You can’t permit INEC on one hand to use electronic voting and
not use electronic transmission of results because usually, they go
as a package,” he said.

“Once there is a robust software and hardware for doing so, it
now brings efficiency, transparency and real time ability to see
the result as they are transmitted from the polling unit to a
National Collation Centre.”

Jega asked the National Assembly to diligently work to ensure
that the Electoral Amendment Bill (2021) is appropriately amended
before being passed.

*Onochie’s nomination had sparked outrage from civil society
groups, opposition political parties and even within the ruling All
Progressives Congress (APC)….

Prof Attahiru Jega, a former Chairman of the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC), has asked the Senate not to
confirm Lauretta Onochie as a National Commissioner of INEC.

Onochie, who was nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari, was
among those screened at the upper legislative chamber of the
National Assembly on Thursday.

There is a rumor that the result of the screening would be out
on Tuesday.

Onochie’s nomination had sparked outrage from civil society
groups, opposition lawmakers and even within the All Progressives
Congress (APC).

Many have argued that she is “too partisan” to be a commissioner
in an institution like INEC.

But Buhari has refused to withdraw the appointment of one of his
aides despite the pressure.

When he featured on Sunday Politics, a Channels Television
programme, Jega spoke on the controversy over Onochie’s
nomination.

“This kind of controversy is really avoidable. Any person who
generated such a controversy; the appointing authorities should be
careful because you don’t want to appoint anybody that can raise
suspicions or doubts or can lead to a loss of trust of the
electoral management body,” he said.

He added that the president could withdraw Onochie’s nomination
and replace her with another female from her state.

Electronic transfer of results.

The former INEC chairman commended the National Assembly for
taking steps to review the Electoral Amendment Act (2010) as
amended but faulted the exclusion of electronic transfer of
results.

He said the decision of the 9th Assembly to allow INEC to use
electronic voting without the electronic transmission of results is
counterproductive.

“You can’t permit INEC on one hand to use electronic voting and
not use electronic transmission of results because usually, they go
as a package,” he said.

“Once there is a robust software and hardware for doing so, it
now brings efficiency, transparency and real time ability to see
the result as they are transmitted from the polling unit to a
National Collation Centre.”

Jega asked the National Assembly to diligently work to ensure
that the Electoral Amendment Bill (2021) is appropriately amended
before being passed.