Senate risks dangerous precedence with Onochie’s confirmation, group warns

Civil rights group, Concerned Nigerians, has asked the Senate Committee Chairman on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Senate President Ahmad Lawan to throw out President Muhammadu Buhari’s nomination of Ms Lauretta Onochie as INEC commissioner.

It warned that the upper legislative chamber would set dangerous precedence if it goes ahead to confirm the presidential aide.

In a letter to the Senate, the convener of Concerned Nigerians, Deji Adeyanju warned: “The Senate must be careful not to set dangerous precedence with the confirmation of Onochie, lest a day come when the President of Nigeria may nominate his party chairman as INEC chairman. If this proposed action of confirming Onochie goes on according to plan, it will make many lose hope in elections and democracy in the country. We urge you not to reverse all our democratic gains by this action.”

He noted: “It is public knowledge that Ms. Onochie is a card-carrying member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), a supporter and political aide of the President. We find it very worrisome that the Senate, under the leadership of Senate President Lawan, appears to have made up its mind to confirm Onochie as an INEC commissioner.”

Adeyanju added: “We urge the Senate to immediately clear Sani Adams, a professor of law, who is eminently qualified to be a national commissioner and other Nigerians on the list.”

On Wednesday, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by its national chairman, Uche Secondus, had barricaded the gate of the National Assembly in protest against Onochie’s nomination.