Nigeria’s red legislative chamber, the Senate on Tuesday declined to approve nomination of presidential aide, Lauretta Onochie as a National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Chairman of the Committee, Kabiru Gaya, in his report said Onochie did not satisfy the provisions of the Federal Character Principles.
The Senate at the committee of the whole subsequently voted against her nomination.
President Muhammad Buhari had, on October 12, nominated Onochie (Delta), Muhammad Sani Kallah (Katsina), Kunle Cornelius Ajayi (Ekiti), Saidu Babura Ahmad (Jigawa), Sani Muhammad Adam (North Central) and Baba Bila (North East) as National Commissioners of INEC.
One of the petitioners against Onochie nomination had attached an affidavit with the objection to her nomination, claiming her pertisanship would rob her of taking independent and unbias decision as electoral umpire.
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On Thursday, while she was undergoing screening at the Senate for the comfirmation of her nomination as the electoral body commissioner, Onochie repudiated her membership of any political party, contrary to her sworn afffidavit.
Though, Onochie acknowledged the affidavit as being authentic, nevertheless she denied her membership of any political party thrice before the Senate in the same manner Apostle Peter denied Jesus in the Holy Book.
“Since 2019, I have not had anything to do with any political organisation, including Buhari support groups.
“When APC was doing re-validation of party members, I did not take part in that exercise.
“As I’m sitting down here, I’m not a member of any political party in this country,” Onochie told the Senate eight days after she sworn to a legal document affirming her membership of the ruling party.
