[News] Senate begins screening, confirmation of Lauretta Onochie, others as INEC Commissioners

The Senate on Wednesday, June 9, referred the name of the Special Assistant on Social Media to the President, Lauretta Onochie, to its Committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for screening as a National Commissioner of INEC representing Delta State.

 

Recall that President  Muhammadu Buhari had in October 2020, forwarded Onochie’s name and five other nominees to the Senate for confirmation.

 

The President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan on Wednesday, June 9, forwarded the name of Onochie and five others as Federal Commissioners to the Senator Kabiru Gaya, All Progressives Congress, APC, Kano South led Senate Committee on INEC.

 

Lawan gave the Committee two weeks to carry out legislative action on the list and report back at Plenary.

 

The action of the President of the Senate was sequel to the Executive Communication read by the Senate Leader, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, APC, Kebbi North that the Senate do consider the request of President Muhammadu Buhari on the confirmation of the Nominations of the following persons for Appointment as Commissioners of INEC in accordance with Paragraph 14 Part 1(F) of the Third Schedule to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as Amended.

 

Aside from Onochie, other names that were referred to the Senate Committee are Prof. Muhammad Sani Kallah from Katsina; Prof. Kunle Cornelius Ajayi, Ekiti State; Saidu Babura Ahmad, Jigawa; Prof. Sani Muhammad Adam, North Central and Dr. Baba Bila, North East.