Onochie: Buhari Accused Of Deliberately Provoking Nigerians; Senate Minority Caucus, Falani, Knock Him |The Source

By Akinwale Kasali

Nigerians are still reacting in shock and disbelief over the nomination of Buhari’s Media aide, and rabid defender, Lauretta Onochie, by President Muhammadu Buhari as a Commissioner on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Since Onochie’s nomination, reactions in condemnation has been coming like claps of thunder, with Nigerians describing it as a deliberate provocation of the people, and a brazen breach of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Femi Falana, SAN, has  slammed President Muhammadu Buhari for nominating his aide, Lauretta Onochie, as an Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Commissioner.

Falana stressed that Onochie, as an aide to President Buhari, is not qualified to be a Commissioner of INEC, as this basically shows partisanship.

Falana added that the criteria provided in the Constitution to determine who is fit for the position is that members of the INEC must not be partisan, a rule which he said Onochie is not compliant with.

He described Onochie as an “unrepentant member” of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Party and one who has “consistently attacked members of other political parties who dared criticise the Buhari administration whether justly or otherwise.

Falana said, “To that extent, she is partisan and, therefore, not qualified to be a member of the Independent National Electoral Commission”.

President Buhari is seeking confirmation of Onochie’s appointment as a National Commissioner for INEC, representing Delta State. He made the in a letter sent to the Senate on Tuesday, which was later read by Senator Ahmed Lawan at plenary.

The President is also seeking confirmation of the appointment of three others  –  Professor Mohammed Sani (Katsina); Professor Kunle Ajayi (Ekiti), and Seidu Ahmed (Jigawa).

However, the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe,  condemned the nomination of Onochie by President Buhari, saying it has flouted the nation’s constitution with the appointment of his media aide, as a National Commissioner on the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The opposition Senators, in a statement made available to the media in Abuja, and signed by Abaribe, demanded that President Buhari should withdraw Onochie’s nomination.

The Senators noted that Buhari, by nominating Onochie, “has willfully gone against the constitution that he swore to uphold.”

Part of the statement read, “Item F, paragraph 14 of the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) forbids a card-carrying member of a political party to be a member of INEC.

“The Minority Caucus of the Senate is against this nomination and call on Mr President to withdraw it”, the statement reads.

Over 70 CSO Groups have asked Buhari to quickly withdraw Onochie’s nomination, saying it is a deliberate provocation of the people, and a brazen breach of the constitution.