By Tosin Olatokunbo
Controversial Senior Special Assistant to the president on Social Media, Lauretta Onochie’s nomination as an Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC Commissioner is facing a serious opposition from the civil society group in the country, who said she’s not qualified to hold the position.
President Muhammadu Buhari nominated the Delta born politician and three others to the Senate for confirmation, just few hours ago but the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room said her appointment is against the constitution and invalid due to her political disposition.
Paragraph 14 of the 1999 Constitution forbids any partisan politician form being a member of INEC. The reason is that such could compromise the integrity of the electoral process. Onochie is a staunch supporter of President Buhari and a member of the ruling All progressives Congress, APC.
Clement Nwankwo, convener of Situation Room, in a statement said the nomination of the presidential aide could affect the efforts of the government to built a credible electoral process ahead the 2023 general election, noting that the appointment is self serving and negates the Constitution which says a ‘partisan politician’ should not be a member of the electoral umpire.
The statement said “The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room is concerned about the nomination of Ms. Lauretta Onochie, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Social Media as National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) representing the South-South.
“Ms. Onochie is a known partisan supporter of President Muhammadu Buhari and his ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).”
Her nomination negates the Constitution, the civil society group said, because “Item F, paragraph 14 of the third schedule of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended) forbids a partisan politician as a member of INEC – a body charged under the Constitution to unbiasedly conduct of free and fair elections.
It warns that Onochie’s “nomination amounts to a major attempt at undermining efforts to build credibility for an improved electoral process in the country, calling “on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately withdraw her nomination.”
“Should the President fail to withdraw this nomination” the group said “ the Nigerian Senate is hereby called upon to disregard her nomination without any consideration whatsoever.”
“It is important for Nigeria that the composition of INEC is transparently non-partisan and independent of partisan political manipulation,” the Situation Room said.
Meanwhile, Hip hop super star, Wizkid has urged the presidential aide to join the EndSARS protest like other women in the country. The attack came after Onochie berated the musician for calling President Buhari an old man.
