A former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Attahiru Jega, has warned the Senate against confirming the appointment of a presidential aide, Lauretta Onochie, as a National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission to avoid controversy.

Jega also said the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), could withdraw Onochie’s nomination and replace her with another female from her state, noting that there are many other eligible women for the job.

The former INEC boss said this while featuring on Sunday Politics, a current affairs programme on Channels Television, on Sunday night.

Onochie had on Thursday during her screening by the Senate Committee on INEC, denied being a member of the All Progressives Congress since 2019.

But Jega said, “This kind of controversy is really avoidable. Any person who generated such a controversy; the appointing authorities should be careful because you don’t want to appoint anybody that can raise suspicions or doubts or can lead to a loss of trust of the electoral management body.

Group asks Jonathan to withdraw nomination of Nwuruku as INEC commissioner

KADUNA-INDEPENDENT Election Monitoring Group, IEMG, has urged President Goodluck Jonathan, to withdraw the nomination of Amb Lawrence Nwuruku as a National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Alternately, the IEMG has also pleaded with the Senate not to confirm the said appointment of Nwuruku as it was ‘’made in breach of Section 156 of the 1999 Constitution as amended; which makes it mandatory that a member of the Independent National Electoral Commission shall not be a member of a political party,’’ as it would challenge any move to confirm him in court since it was ‘’patently illegal and a breach of the law and the constitution.’’

In a statement by the National Coordinator of IEMG, Festus Okoye Monday, the group said Nwuruku who is currently the country’s Ambassador to Mexico and was nominated to the said position on the basis of his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, adding that in 2003, he contested the Governorship elections in Ebonyi State under the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, before contesting for same position under PDP in 2007.

The statement further said ‘’he was the State Coordinator, 2007 PDP Presidential/Gubernatorial campaign in Ebonyi State.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/10/group-asks-jonathan-to-withdraw-nomination-of-nwuruku-as-inec-commissioner/amp/

CilicMarin:
The same Jega, that approved the appointment of Lawrence Nwurukwu a PDP Minister from Ebonyi State as INEC Commissioner, in 2014?

aribisala0:
Jega had power to approve appointments?

saintgp:
Medicine after death.... anyway talk make e no b like say you b no talk.

But then,I feel this issue of her being a party member is relatively immaterial (although it may contradict d constitution).I say so because:
(1) All naija politicians are open to DECAMPING,she is in APC today and by tomorrow if things goes south,she go switch camp even before the election.

(2)INEC officials,Weda PDP OR APC r loyal to the highest bidder and not necessarily the political party.besides Delta State where she comes from is a DO ANYHOW AND SEE ANYHOW STATE.a PDP stronghold for dat matter.so am tempted to ask:
Can she withstand (risking her life n dat of her family members) d likes of TOMPOLO,IBORI,OKOWA and J.MANAGER?not wen she can quietly collect her brown envelope and lock up.