BY BENEDICT NWACHUKWU, ABUJA
On July 14, 2021, the Senate rejected the nomination of Lauretta Onochie, President Muhammadu Buhari’s aide, as a commissioner with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to represent the South-South. The Senate gave as reason the fact that another commissioner from Onochie’s Delta State was still in service and that given the federal character principle she could not be confirmed. The same Senate, however, confirmed five others.
The Red Chamber also stepped down the confirmation of Prof. Sani Muhammad Adam (North Central) for further investigation by the committee.
Onochie’s nomination by President Buhari had stirred instant uproar from various quarters and urged the president to nominate another person from Delta State as a national commissioner representing South-South to replace Onochie, who was believed to be a card-carrying member of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
Her rejection by the Senate attracted an immediate response from the main opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which described it as a victory for Nigerians and democracy in the country.
It could be recalled that the PDP and some other major stakeholders, Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, staged series of protests at the National Assembly complex to mount pressure on the Senate against Onochie’s nomination by the President.
But the presidential aide denied being a card-carrying member of any party when she appeared before the Senate Committee on INEC for screening. The act of denying her party further infuriated those opposed to her nomination who quickly questioned her moral integrity. Opposition to her nomination, which cut across partisan divide, argued that it would be bad omen for the country if she could so brazenly deny her membership of the party for which she was renowned both in Delta State and at the national level and which has brought her immense popularity and presidential appointment. Her spirited efforts to counter the adverse narratives by those opposed to her appointment appeared too feeble and so couldn’t save the day for her.
While she was dropped along with another, five others were confirmed by the Senate Committee. Those confirmed in the exercise include Prof. Cornelius Kunle Ajayi (Ekiti, South West) who is currently Chairman, Election and Party Monitoring Committee in the Commission. Others are Dr. Baba Bila (North-East), Saidu Babura Ahmad (Jigawa), Prof. Abdullahi Abdu Zuru ( North-West) and Professor Muhammad Sani Kallah (Katsina).
But then, her rejection by the Senate was not predicated on being a card carrying member of the ruling party. Chairman of the Committee, Senator Kabiru Gaya (APC representing Kano South), during his presentation, said the committee received several petitions against her nomination and that of Prof. Sami Muhammad Adam.
He stated that the petitions against Onochie were informed by the fact of her involvement in politics and alleged membership of a political party.
Sen. Gaya added that her nomination violated the federal character principle, as there was already a serving National Electoral Commissioner from Delta State same with her, Mary Agbamuche-Mbu, who was screened and confirmed by the 8th Senate.
“Another important thing the National Assembly owes us is to do a due diligence on people being flaunted for such position because people with baggage will only draw the hands of our political clock backward
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His words, “In the case of Ms Lauretta Onochie’s, 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 rejected her nomination.”
The Committee Chairman cited sections of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) on federal character principle and stated that the committee based on the principle refused to recommend her for confirmation.
Gaya added that, “Therefore, based on the provisions of Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as Amended) on Federal Character principle as earlier stated, and in order for the committee and the Senate to achieve fairness to other states and political zones in the country, the committee is unable to recommend Ms. Lauretta Onochie for confirmation as a National Electoral Commissioner for the Independent National Electoral Commission.”
However, with the retirement of Agbamuche-Mbu as a National Commissioner in the INEC representing Onochie’s zone and with both coming from the same state, the questions on the lips of both CSOs and major stakeholders is whether Onochie would Onochie be re-nominated?
And if she is eventually re-nominated, would she have a smooth sail despite her alleged card carrying membership of a party this time?
A leading political activist and Executive Director, Adopt a Goal for Development Initiative, Dare Ariyo Atoyebi, told The Point that “The very people behind Lauretta Onochie’s nomination are still very much around. They are led by a ranking senator and they have the ears of the President. And unfortunately, the same influence of these people made it possible for the Senate to take a decisive decision on her nomination last time around.
“When you consider the reason adduced for not confirming her to be as a result of lack of vacancy from her zone and state. Now that there is vacancy, we expect them to push again further for the nomination and confirmation of Lauretta Onochie.
“We expect the people pushing for her nomination to push harder trying to convince the President to resend her name to the Senate as a nominee. But I think the CSOs and other stakeholders must be resolute in demanding that the Senate should not confirm Lauretta Onochie in whatever guise. And I think the point we as the critical stakeholders and CSOs has to start now is by preempting the President by asking him not to send her name again to the Senate.”
Atoyebi argued that Delta State has abundant and capable individuals, who can represent both the state and the zone in that capacity and as such the President has no alibi to peg the nomination on Onochie.
“I think Delta State has eminently qualified individuals to occupy and not just only occupy but effectively do the work in the INEC. There are very intelligent, beautiful, charismatic people with integrity in the state, so there is no reason for insisting on Onochie.
“Another important thing the National Assembly owes us is to do a due diligence on people being flaunted for such position because people with baggage will only draw the hands of our political clock backward.”
He advocated for the members of the Civil Society Organisations to write the President ahead of time before the nomination to replace the retired five or so commissioners so that it will not become a reactionary move.
“Members of the CSOs and other critical stakeholders should write the President now before the nomination. The letters should be to plead with Mr. President not to re-nominate her. If it is Delta State that should produce the next National Commissioner in the INEC from that zone, there are numerous Deltans with integrity and non partisan. We are moving into an election year and would not want landmines that would derail the system. We need men and women of good standing and reputations to serve in INEC and ensure we conduct credible, free and fair elections,” he noted.
He insisted that she was just being economical with the truth and that she is a bonafide card carrying member of a political even though she made attempt to deny it because of the appointment, there is nothing on ground to prove her claims right.
“Of course, she’s a card carrying party member. She belongs to a political party. She has not in any way proven otherwise, though she tried to deny it by claiming that she has quitted long ago but the facts available are enormous to prove her claim otherwise. We expect that the Senate will want to do something funny but the CSOs, we must remain resolute. Like I said, we should start by asking the President to consider other women from Delta who have not involved themselves with activities of political parties,” he concluded.
Nonetheless, the main opposition party PDP has not changed its stance on her matter.
