Senate rejects Lauretta Onochie as INEC commissioner

The Senate has rejected Lauretta Onochie as INEC’s national commissioner.

The Senate, however, confirmed five other nominees, including Muhammad Sani Kallah (Katsina), Kunle Ajayi (Ekiti), Saidu Ahmad (Jigawa), Baba Bila (North-East) and Prof. Abdullahi Zuru (North-West).

Their confirmation followed the adoption of the Senate Senate committee report on the screening of the INEC nominees at plenary on Tuesday.

The Senate rejected Ms Onochie’s nomination for violating 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 an INEC national commissioner.

He cited the presence of May Agbamuche Mbu from Delta, as a national commissioner of INEC, as the Senate also stood down the confirmation of Sani Adam (North-Central) for further legislative work.