BREAKING: Senate to Clear Buhari’s Aide, Lauretta Onochie, Five Others as INEC National Commissioners

The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan has referred the name of the Special Assistant on Social Media to the President, Lauretta Onochie, with five others to its Committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for screening as National Commissioners of INEC ..

This is coming about eight months after President Muhammdu Buhari forwarded Onochie’s name representing Delta State to the Senate for confirmation.

Onochie’s nomination had generated controversy with critical stakeholders arguing her choice was not in order in view of her alleged ‘partisanship and identification’ with the All Progressives Congress (APC).

. The President of the Senate asked the Committee to screen her and five others for confirmation as INEC commissioners

It was learnt that protests among the Peoples Democratic Party members in the red chamber halted the process of the screening as the opposition federal lawmakers were said to have accused Onochie, who is at present a presidential spokesperson, of unnecessarily casting aspersions on their party.

They also faulted the idea of making Onochie, a card-carrying member of the All Progressives Congress as an INEC Commissioner to represent Delta State on the board of the commission.

Other names on the list are, Prof. Muhammad Kallah (Katsina); Prof. Kunle Ajayi (Ekiti); Saidu Ahmad (Jigawa); Prof Sani Adam (North- Central); and Dr Baba Bila (North-East).

The Senate INEC panel, which has Senator Kabiru Gaya as Chairman, has four weeks to conclude the screening and report back to the red chamber at plenary.