The Senate has declined the confirmation of Ms Lauretta Onochie for appointment as National Commissioner representing Delta State, at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The Upper House, however, confirmed five other nominees, including Prof. Muhammad Sani Kallah, (Katsina), Prof. Kunle Ajayi (Ekiti), Saidu Ahmad (Jigawa), Dr Baba Bila (North-East) and Prof. Abdullahi Zuru (North-West).
Their confirmation followed the adoption of the report of the Committee on the screening of INEC nominees at plenary on Tuesday.
Onochie’s nomination was rejected by the Senate for reasons bordering on potential violation of the Federal Character Principle.
Committee Chairman, Kabiru Gaya (APC-Kano), while presenting the report of the screening of the nominees, told the Senate that it was against the federal character principle to have two persons from the same state as INEC National Commissioner.
He cited the presence of Mrs May Agbamuche Mbu from Delta, as a National Commissioner of INEC, as the Senate also stood down the confirmation of Prof. Sani Adam (North-Central) for further legislative work.
The Upper Legislative Chamber also approved the National Electoral Offences Commission to prosecute electoral offenders.
The approval of the commission followed the consideration during plenary, of the report of the Senate Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Chairman of the Committee, Sen. Kabiru Gaya, presented the report on the Electoral Offences Commission (Establisment) bill, 2021.
The Bill was sponsored by Sen. Abubakar Kyari (APC-Borno).
Presenting the report, Gaya said that the bill sought for the establishment of the commission and to make adequate deterrence and sanctions for undemocratic forces in Nigeria’s electoral environment.
“It is also a decisive deterrence through efficient criminal prosecutions in the strategy for defecting electoral offenders.
“To this end, section 149 and 150 (2) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) respectively vests INEC with the discretion and powers to prosecute alleged electoral offenders.”
He further said that since the advent of democracy in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic in 1999, there was hardly any election that electoral offences in their various forms had not characterised.
“Successive elections at the national, states and local government levels have been marred by irregularities, with political players resorting to violence to outsmart each other to achieve victory.
‘No doubt, electoral offences remain a significant threat to credible, free and fair elections in Nigeria, where elections heighten political tension and trigger violence.”
He explained that the challenges facing INEC in the electoral process did not permit it face another battle of prosecution of electoral offenders.
“This accounts for just a few convictions for electoral offences in the realm of criminal litigation in Nigeria.
“The above underscores the necessity of an active justice system for the prosecution of electoral offenders, which remains critical in ensuring a decrease in the level of electoral impunity and a reversal in the persistent trend of electoral offences”
Gaya further explained that this necessitated establishing a commission to be charged with investigating electoral offences and prosecution of electoral offenders in Nigeria.
He said that the commission would help strengthen Nigeria’s electoral process and ensure credible elections.
In his contribution, Sen. Adamu Aliero (APC-Kebbi) said that the commission would help sanitise and enhance the electoral process.
In his remarks, President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, said “This is yet another landmark legislation that this Senate has been able to pass, break the jinx, and the demons are defeated too here.
“This is one sure way of keeping offenders responsible and accountable for their actions.
“We believe that this will sanitise our electoral system and process and we believe that INEC and States Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) will be able to conduct their elections free of violence.”
