Senate confirms 15 REC nominees, 12 pending

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Senator Suleiman Nazif (APC, Bauchi North), said yesterday that the remaining 12 of the 27 Resident Electoral Commissioner-(REC)nominees will be considered in due course in the ongoing confirmation process at the Red Chamber.

The Senate had yesterday confirmed 15 of the 27 people nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The confirmation of the nominees hanged in the Senate since March when the list was sent to it.

Fifteen of the nominees were confirmed following the adoption of the report of the Senate Committee on INEC.

Those confirmed included Professor Godswill Obioma (Abia), James Apam (Benue), Nkwachukwu Orji (Ebonyi), Illoh Joseph Chuks (Enugu), Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda (Plateau), Umar Ibrahim (Taraba) and Emeka Ononamadu Joseph (Imo).

Others were Ibrahim Abdullahi (Adamawa),Obo Effanga (Cross River), Francis Ezeonu (Anambra), Briyai Frankland (Baylesa), Agboke Mutiu Olaleke (Ogun), Hussaini Halilu Pai (FCT), Ahmad Makama (Bauchi) and Sadiq Abubakar Musa (Kaduna).

In his remarks at the end of the confirmation, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, urged the new RECs to work towards strengthening the electoral empire.

Contacted on why only 15 were confirmed so far, Senator Nazif said they divided the confirmation into two batches.

“The 15 confirmed fall within Batch A. The remaining 12 REC nominees fall in batch B; they are presently undergoing the process of confirmation,” he said.

Our correspondent reports that there were many petitions against some of the nominees, but a member of the INEC committee, who does not want to be named, said most of the petitions were frivolous.