Senate dumps RECs confirmation over Magu

The Senate yesterday resolved to suspend consideration of the 27 nominees for appointment as Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for two weeks.

The upper chamber said suspension was as a result of the refusal of President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu.

President Buhari had last week sought for the confirmation of the RECs in accordance with section 14 (3a) of the 1999 Constitution.

Magu was twice rejected by the Senate. The confirmation of RECs was listed on yesterday’s order paper.

Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah (APC, Kebbi) raised a motion for the confirmation of the nominees.

But Senator Peter Nwaoboshi (PDP, Delta) prayed that the confirmation be stood down, saying the Senate is being denigrated by the Executive arm of government.

“Recently in this Senate, we have dealt with the issue of confirmation and where are we today; the chairman of the presidential committee on anti-corruption, Professor Itse Sagay went to the press and said that the Senate merely confirms.

“They are telling Mr President to disregard and disrespect the institution, the legislature. My position on this matter is that since our confirmation is ‘merely’ let us suspend it until we now know whether we have the power as given to us by the constitution to look into confirmation matters or any other status,” he said.

Opposing the prayer, Senator Adamu Aliero (APC, Kebbi) said without the confirmation of the RECs, INEC would not be ready for 2019 elections.

But the Deputy Chief Whip, Senator Francis Alimekhana said “The EFCC chairman that we disqualified in this hall is still acting? All the reports that are in the papers he is behind it. Magu is terrorising us because we disqualified him and we cannot hide it.”

Senate President Bukola Saraki and his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu advised their colleagues against outright stepping down of the confirmation. They suggested that it should be stepped down for one or two weeks.

The confirmation suspended for two weeks.

Contacted, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang said the Senate acted within its powers.

Enang denied that the suspension of the RECs’ confirmation was hinged on the refusal by the Presidency to remove the acting chairman of the EFCC.

“They stated the reason, that they want more information as to the compliance to a certain resolution and on that we will be engaging them. This is not time to engage in harsh word between the executive and the legislature,” he said. was