INEC Job: Lobby For Onochie Gears Up At Senate

The Senate is under pressure to confirm Special Assistant to the
President on Social Media, Lauretta Onochie, as a national
commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC), it was learnt on Monday.

A principal officer of the Senate is spearheading the lobbying,
according to a source.

After eight months of suspense, Senate President Ahmad Lawan
referred it to the Senate Committee on INEC, headed by Sen. Kabiru
Gaya, last week.

It was gathered that the controversy over Onochie delayed the
screening of other nominees .

Other nominees are Prof. Mohammed Sani (Katsina); Prof. Kunle
Cornelius Ajayi (Ekiti), Seidu Babura Ahmed (Jigawa), Prof. Sani
Mohammad Adam (North Central) and Dr. Baba Bila (North East).

A top source, who spoke in confidence, said: “What delayed the
screening of Onochie for eight months was to allow for
horse-trading and consultations with the Presidency on the
observations by some Senators, the opposition and other
stakeholders.

“The chamber made behind-the-scene representation twice to
President Muhammadu Buhari to replace Onochie, but the President
stick to his decision.

“Apart from defending her principal(President Buhari), Onochie,
many top officials of the presidency believe, didn’t engage in
partisan politics.

“We have no choice than to leave Onochie’s fate to the Senate
Committee on INEC to determine. And we have left stakeholders who
have reservations about her nomination to approach the
committee.”

Giving insights into the nomination game in the Senate, a
ranking senator said the Senate is under pressure to clear
Onochie.

”Many people and some governors have been reaching out to APC
and PDP Senators to clear her.

“For some of us, they have reached out to our leaders to prevail
on us to accept her nomination, “ a source said.

The source added: “What some of us are saying, including some
APC senators, is that we should take cognizance of Section 14(2a)
of the Third Schedule to the 1999 Constitution( as amended) . We do
not want to set bad a precedent.”

The section says: “A member of the commission shall be
non-partisan and a person of unquestionable integrity.”

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media, Sen. Ajibola
Basiru said the plenary will determine Onochie’s and other
nominees’ fate.

“Onochie’s nomination has been referred to the Senate Committee
on INEC to consider her suitability or otherwise for the job. The
same template applies to all other nominees.

“The ultimate decision on Onochie is left to the plenary, based
on the recommendations of the committee.

“Don’t forget that the screening committee will only act, based
on the information and representation before it. Whatever it is,
the plenary is in charge of final decision”.

Yesterday, the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) said it would go to
court to challenge Onochie’s nomination.

It National Publicity Secretary Kola Ologbodiyan, said: “We are
already doing a memo to the Senate Committee on INEC. Apart from
that, we will go to court to challenge the constitutionality of her
appointment.

“We are aware she is a registered member of the All Progressives
Congress(APC) in a ward in Aniocha Local Government Area of Delta
State. We have her card number and other evidence.

“As for our members in the Senate, they are not silent. We have
engaged them to oppose her nomination because it is
unconstitutional. We also know that some APC members are opposed to
her nomination.”

A PDP senator said: “There is no need hiding behind one finger.
We have all the partisan tweets of Onochie. For instance, in a
tweet on January 13th, 2015, Onochie said: ”Issues in Nigeria. Hope
is here. Vote Buhari/Osinbajo. Vote APC. Improved infrastructure,
reduce poverty, equip school.”

“Tweeting with APC flag at the background on June 24, 2020,
Onochie said: ”There is definitely an APC e-NEC meeting tomorrow.
We are going through a growth process. Thank you, everyone.”

“It will be sad for our chamber to confirm her. We will try our
best to resist her nomination, despite pressure on APC and PDP
senators.”

The Senate is under pressure to confirm Special Assistant to the
President on Social Media, Lauretta Onochie, as a national
commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC), it was learnt on Monday.

A principal officer of the Senate is spearheading the lobbying,
according to a source.

After eight months of suspense, Senate President Ahmad Lawan
referred it to the Senate Committee on INEC, headed by Sen. Kabiru
Gaya, last week.

It was gathered that the controversy over Onochie delayed the
screening of other nominees .

Other nominees are Prof. Mohammed Sani (Katsina); Prof. Kunle
Cornelius Ajayi (Ekiti), Seidu Babura Ahmed (Jigawa), Prof. Sani
Mohammad Adam (North Central) and Dr. Baba Bila (North East).

A top source, who spoke in confidence, said: “What delayed the
screening of Onochie for eight months was to allow for
horse-trading and consultations with the Presidency on the
observations by some Senators, the opposition and other
stakeholders.

“The chamber made behind-the-scene representation twice to
President Muhammadu Buhari to replace Onochie, but the President
stick to his decision.

“Apart from defending her principal(President Buhari), Onochie,
many top officials of the presidency believe, didn’t engage in
partisan politics.

“We have no choice than to leave Onochie’s fate to the Senate
Committee on INEC to determine. And we have left stakeholders who
have reservations about her nomination to approach the
committee.”

Giving insights into the nomination game in the Senate, a
ranking senator said the Senate is under pressure to clear
Onochie.

”Many people and some governors have been reaching out to APC
and PDP Senators to clear her.

“For some of us, they have reached out to our leaders to prevail
on us to accept her nomination, “ a source said.

The source added: “What some of us are saying, including some
APC senators, is that we should take cognizance of Section 14(2a)
of the Third Schedule to the 1999 Constitution( as amended) . We do
not want to set bad a precedent.”

The section says: “A member of the commission shall be
non-partisan and a person of unquestionable integrity.”

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media, Sen. Ajibola
Basiru said the plenary will determine Onochie’s and other
nominees’ fate.

“Onochie’s nomination has been referred to the Senate Committee
on INEC to consider her suitability or otherwise for the job. The
same template applies to all other nominees.

“The ultimate decision on Onochie is left to the plenary, based
on the recommendations of the committee.

“Don’t forget that the screening committee will only act, based
on the information and representation before it. Whatever it is,
the plenary is in charge of final decision”.

Yesterday, the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) said it would go to
court to challenge Onochie’s nomination.

It National Publicity Secretary Kola Ologbodiyan, said: “We are
already doing a memo to the Senate Committee on INEC. Apart from
that, we will go to court to challenge the constitutionality of her
appointment.

“We are aware she is a registered member of the All Progressives
Congress(APC) in a ward in Aniocha Local Government Area of Delta
State. We have her card number and other evidence.

“As for our members in the Senate, they are not silent. We have
engaged them to oppose her nomination because it is
unconstitutional. We also know that some APC members are opposed to
her nomination.”

A PDP senator said: “There is no need hiding behind one finger.
We have all the partisan tweets of Onochie. For instance, in a
tweet on January 13th, 2015, Onochie said: ”Issues in Nigeria. Hope
is here. Vote Buhari/Osinbajo. Vote APC. Improved infrastructure,
reduce poverty, equip school.”

“Tweeting with APC flag at the background on June 24, 2020,
Onochie said: ”There is definitely an APC e-NEC meeting tomorrow.
We are going through a growth process. Thank you, everyone.”

“It will be sad for our chamber to confirm her. We will try our
best to resist her nomination, despite pressure on APC and PDP
senators.”