The Senate has rejected Lauretta Onochie as a national commissioner for the electoral umpire, INEC.
The rejection of Ms Onochie’s controversial appointment was a sequel to the consideration of the report of the Senate Committee on INEC which had the responsibility of screening Ms Onochie and the other nominees.
The committee chairman, Kabiru Gaya, who presented the report, recommended that Ms Onochie’s appointment be rejected.
Mr Gaya said she was disqualified based on federal character principles. He explained that there was a serving commissioner from Delta State, where she hails from.
Ms Onochie, currently the Personal Assistant to the President on New Media, was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari in October 2020 as an INEC commissioner to represent Delta State – an appointment which had triggered outrage among Nigerians as many described it as unconstitutional.
Many called on the president to withdraw the nomination on grounds that Ms Onochie is partisan and so it would be undemocratic for her to be appointed into such an office.
Some civil society organizations also wrote petitions to the Senate opposing Ms Onochie’s appointment. The main opposition party, PDP, had also protested against her nomination.
Despite the criticisms, the Senate went ahead to screen her last Thursday.
At the screening exercise, Ms Onochie described herself as ‘madam due process’.
“I have seen the petitions against me but I stand for justice and fairness. Thus nobody has anything to fear. I am madam due process and this is the reason behind my attacks because I follow the law and due process, she said.
RN