By Adesina Soyooye
The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties, CNPP, has warned against the appointment of Lauretta Onochie, through the back door, as a National Commissioner on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC in an Acting position. It warned against repetition of the template of the former Ag. Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, who was rejected by the Senate, but stubbornly kept in office in an Acting capacity by President Muhammadu Buhari until he was removed, unceremoniously, from office.
Buhari had, shockingly, nominated Onochie, an Aide of his, as an INEC National Commissioner. But the nomination was met with outrage from not a few quarters. The Senate was asked to reject her if Buhari refused to withdraw her name. Eight months after the nomination, Onochie was screened and rejected by the Senate which, obviously, caved in under the unprecedented pressure on it.
Following her rejection the CNPP has commended the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria “for listening to the voice of reason and flowing with public opinion rather than maintaining its traditional rubber stamp disposition to all executive requests at the detriment of the overall national interest.”
The CNPP Secretary General, Chief Willy Ezugwu, in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday said “it pays for all elected public officers to listen to the people from whom they derive their powers and are holding offices in trust for their well-being, with a view to improving on the rapidly eroding public confidence in our political office holders.”
The CNPP added that “while we commend the Senators for not allowing the controversial nomination Onochie to sail through, we warn of a repeat of the Ibrahim Magu template where the executive unilaterally imposed him on the country in perpetual Acting Capacity as Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against the wish of the people.
“We all know how Magu’s tenure as EFCC’s Acting Chairman ended, proving that corruption allegation against him by the Department of State Services (DSS) leading to his rejection by the 8th Senate was correct.
“And, just as a once corrupt person will always be corrupt, a partisan player like Lauretta Onochie would have remained partisan even as INEC commissioner.
“It will be disastrous for our already struggling democracy if the executive is allowed to appoint a fanatically partisan character like Lauretta Onochie through the backdoor, using the Magu template.
“The CNPP hereby advises the Presidency to shelve all overbearing attitude it has continued to subtly exhibit on the federal lawmakers in the remaining less than two years of the tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“All Federal Lawmakers, Mr. President, and Presidential Aides should focus more on life after office rather than generating controversies through an unending opposition to the welfare of the citizens manifesting in numerous ill-conceived policies and executive bills meant to gag the people and the media”, the CNPP stated.
