Despite stepping down the nomination of Prof. Sani Adam as a National Commissioner with the Independent National Electoral Commission on Tuesday, the Senate on Thursday confirmed his nomination by President Muhammadu Buhari
Adam and a presidential aide, Lauretta Onochie, were not cleared by the Senate on Tuesday.
While Onochie was rejected based on issues bordering on federal character, Adam’s confirmation was stepped down because of petitions of alleged harassment against him while he was a lecturer at the University of Jos.
We had earlier reported that the Senate on Tuesday recommended that the professor’s nomination be dropped because the matter is still pending before the Supreme Court.
But the INEC Committee in the Senate led by its Chairman, Senator Kabiru Gaya, pushed for Adam’s confirmation.
The development had caused disharmony among the senators who had vowed to resist such a move.
But in a statement by Ezrel Tabiowo, Special Assistant on Press to President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, the red chamber said it had confirmed Adam as INEC Commissioner.
The statement titled, ‘Senate confirms Prof. Sani Adam as INEC Commissioner’, said the confirmation of the nominee followed the presentation and consideration of a report by Gaya, who in his presentation, said the request to confirm Adam by the President was made in accordance with Sections 153(1)(f) and 154(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
According to the lawmaker, “the Committee in furtherance of its mandate to investigate a petition against the nominee following the suspension of his confirmation on Tuesday by the upper chamber, received explanations regarding his personal life, work experience, suitability, competence and integrity for appointment as National Electoral Commissioner representing the North-Central geo-political zone.
“After a thorough investigation into the petition against the nominee, the Committee found out that the petition against him was paltry and that the reason for the termination (not dismissal as alleged by the petitioner) was not based on gross misconduct but on the rationalization policy of the federal government.
“The court judgement was based on whether or not his appointment should have been terminated and this has nothing to do with his integrity or moral uprightness,” Gaya was quoted as saying.
Adam was, thereafter, confirmed as a National Commissioner of INEC in accordance with the Committee’s recommendation.
