Onochie’s, Rejection: Second Chance On the Way From President Buhari

By Gideon Njoku

Expectedly, the Senate, on Tuesday, rejected the nomination, by President Muhammadu Buhari, of one of his Media aides, Lauretta Onochie, as a National Commissioner on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Onochie’s nomination by Buhari to the Commission, eight months ago, was greeted by a combination of shock, disbelief and uproar by Nigerians.

The reasons are simple. It is public knowledge that Onochie is not only a card- carrying member of the ruling All Progressives Congress, but a rabid Buharite.

The protest against her nomination peaked last week when it was time for the Senate to screen her.

The PDP leadership stormed the National Assembly, to protest her nomination.

Former INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, condemned it, and asked the President to withdraw her nomination. So did Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, and the Civil Society.

It, however, did not stop some apparently hired women from going to the NASS to protest against those who protested against  her nomination.

When she appeared for screening, she shockingly denied membership of the APC. She said she quit since 2019. But all that came to nought on Tuesday when she was rejected by the Senate.

Explaining to the Senate why the screening Committee which Chairman he is did not recommend her for confirmation, Senator Kabiru Gaya, citing Federal character said that Delta State, where Onochie comes  from already has a representative on the Commission, May Agbamuche. Agbamuche was confirmed by the 8th Senate as an INEC Commissioner.

Gaya: “In the case of Ms Lauretta Onochie, having studied her curriculum vitae and other relevant documents, followed by exhaustive interaction around the petitions against her nomination which she responded to accordingly, including attesting that she is not a registered member of any political party, the Committee, bound by the provisions of section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal of Nigeria (as amended) on Federal Character Principle, refused to recommend Onochie for confirmation.”

However, sources informed this Magazine that all hopes are not lost for Onochie. They insist that the President is likely to forward her name again to the Senate as soon as the tenure of Agbamuche expires.

If he does that, it will not be a precedent. President Buhari reformatted the name of former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to the Senate, even after the Senate had rejected him. The Senate was forced to reject him a second time.

Buhari, however, kept him in office, until he unceremoniously sacked him.

In the case of Onochie, the general opinion is that the Senate has done the country  and democracy proud by rejecting her nomination.