Confirmation of INEC Commissioners: Senate must be interested in screening nominees
Election in Nigeria has remained one of the subjects coloured with controversies. On broader ground, the discourse on the Nigerian political culture itself has been one of multifaceted conundra. The subject of the character of election itself has been premised, within theoretical categorisation, to be informed by the political culture in the Country. Rigging, pre- and post-election violence and electoral contests, to mention but a few, have been reoccurring subjects which have been on the stage of electoral administration in the Country. The scenery has been a source of dramatic show among political gladiators and their supporters. The display of face off between and among supporters and camps of political formations has been one of the intriguing play-off of the profile of electoral character in the Country.
The subject of pre- and post-electoral contests remains a major phenomenon of interest. The myriad of court cases to contest the validity or otherwise of election results have come to assume a prime place in the composing posture of the Country’s electoral system. The perceived compromise from electoral officers constitute one major issue on the basis of which contesting electoral outcomes have been rife. As a result, outcomes declared by the Electoral Body in the Country are more often than not, subjected to contest with myriads of legal suits. The phenomenon gives a ready reflection to the impression of loss of confidence and credibility in the Electoral Body. This impression would apparently be traced to years of observed norm of compromise among electoral officials which political gladiators have known to be bendable, in the game that plays out during the electoral processes.
The subject has thus, brought into play the calls for overhauling the Electoral Body of the Country to bring sanity into the system. Hence, the call to have a body manned by uncompromising officials has been a major subject which over time has been on the burner of assessment of the profile of the Country’s electoral system. The process towards having an impeccable electoral system has led to the introduction of Card readers and Permanent Voters’ Card (PVC) into the election processes, with stronger calls for adoption of electronic voting in the Country.
However, it remains pertinent that the subject of the standing profile of the human resources of the Country’s Electoral Body be sacrosanct. In this regard, having an impeccable profile of the human resources of the Body is non-negotiable if a system of clean and credible processes of election with score-sheets of reliable outcomes would become a reality in the Country. It was on Wednesday disclosed that the Nigerian Senate has begun the screening and subsequent confirmation of the Special Assistant, Social Media to Muhammadu Buhari, Lauretta Onochie and some others nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari as a National Commissioner for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). It would be recalled that President Buhari had in October, 2020, forwarded to the Senate for screening and confirmation, his Special Assistant, Social Media, Lauretta Onochie as a National Commissioner for INEC. Other nominees were Prof. Muhammad Sani Kallah from Katsina; Prof. Kunle Cornelius Ajayi, Ekiti State; Saidu Babura Ahmad, Jigawa; Prof. Sani Muhammad Adam, North Central and Dr. Baba Bila, North East.
The Senate President, Senator Ahmad Lawan who on Wednesday forwarded the name of Onochie and five others as Federal Commissioners to the Senator Kabiru Gaya, (All Progressives Congress (APC, Kano South) led Senate Committee on INEC, gave the Committee two weeks to carry out legislative action on the list and report back at Plenary. The action of the Senate President was sequel to the Executive Communication read by the Senate Leader, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, APC, Kebbi North that the Senate do consider the request of President Buhari on the confirmation of the nominations of the concerned persons for Appointment as Commissioners of INEC in accordance with Paragraph 14 Part 1(F) of the Third Schedule to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as Amended.
It would be recalled that the nomination of Lauretta Onochie as a National Commissioner for INEC had attracted wild reactions, with questions relating to her uncompromising status to steer clear of political interference upon assumption of duty. Beyond the consideration of contending views however, It is paramount for the Senate to carry out its oversight function of scrutiny disinterestedly, deviod of any trace of personal, myopic or pecuniary interest. It is pertinent for the Upper chamber to discharge its duty as representatives of the people by deploying every instrument of thoroughness to properly screen the nominees to determine their competence or otherwise before confirmation. It is significant in the interest of the Country to reject any nominee found wanting of satisfying the stated requirements and/or competence standards. This is important to the process of infusing sanity into the dented character of the Country’s electoral system.
The perception of the system as a non-credible entity upon to which trust and credibility can hardly be relayed, is disturbing. This character defies the definitions of the impeccable status an Electoral Body should assume. The Nigerian Constitution provides for “non-partisan and persons of unquestionable integrity” as Electoral Officials. It is therefore imperative for the Senate to work along the instructing lines of the required provisions to display uncompromising responsibilities in the best interest of the Country.
