The senate has confirmed Lauretta Onochie, a presidential aide, as the chairperson of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The upper legislative chamber confirmed her and 12 other nominees after Amos Bulus, chairman of the Niger Delta committee, presented a report on Tuesday.
President Muhammadu Buhari had asked the senate to confirm the nominees.
Details Later…
The Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Niger Delta on Thursday screened Lauretta Onochie as Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Board.
Onochie, a Special Assistant on Social Media to President Muhammadu Buhari, was screened by the joint committees alongside 13 others for NDDC board roles.
Buhari had written to the Senate requesting the Upper Chamber to confirm the appointment of the Chairman and Members of the NDDC board in accordance with the provisions of section 2( 2)( a) of the Niger Delta Development Commission( Establishment) Act.
However, there appeared to be reservations by some committee members against the nomination of Onochie notably on the grounds that she is not from an oil-producing community in Delta State where she hails from and this is against the NDDC Act and consequently she cannot chair the commission.
Committee member, Senator Seriake Dickson noted this during the screening exercise but he got pushback from some committee members who argued that it is not explicitly stated in the NDDC Act.
Another committee member, Senator Orji Kalu reminded his colleagues that a former NDDC Chairman Onyema Ugochukwu is from Abia State.
This is the second time Buhari forwarded a list of nominees for the NDDC board for confirmation.
He sent the first list of nominees for the board in 2021 and the Senate screened and confirmed the nominees.
However, Senate President Ahmad Lawan stated that Buhari’s decision to send another list of nominees for confirmation was because there was a flaw in the previous compilation.
NDDC Board Nominees
Below are some of the new nominees for the NDDC board:
President Muhammadu Buhari has asked the senate to confirm Lauretta Onochie, his aide on social media, as the substantive chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) board.
The president’s request was contained in a letter read by Senate President Ahmad Lawan on the floor of the upper legislative chamber on Wednesday.
Apart from Onochie, the president sent the names of 15 other nominees as board members of the commission.
Details later…
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has hailed the Senate over the rejection of Lauretta Onochie as a national commissioner in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), describing it as a victory for Nigerians and democracy.
President Muhammadu Buhari had nominated Onochie as INEC National Commissioner representing Delta State in October 2020.
On July 8, the Senate Committee on INEC commenced the screening of the presidential aide on Social Media and four other nominees appointed by the President. They are Kunle Cornelius, Saidu Ahmad, Sani Adam and Baba Bila.
Five days after, the upper chamber rejected Onochie’s nomination following the massive outcry that trailed her nomination, especially from members of the opposition and civil society organisations who claim she is a card-carrying member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Reacting, the PDP in a statement by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the “rejection of Lauretta Onochie by Nigerians has saved the nation from very serious crisis as well as salvaged INEC and the entire Nigerian electoral process from a ruinous pollution that would have led to the collapse of our democratic order.”
He noted that “Onochie’s vexatious nomination, in total affront to paragraph 14 of the 3rd schedule of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), was a very dangerous machination by the Buhari-led APC Presidency against our electoral process, in the attempt to subvert the will of the people in the 2023 elections.”
The opposition party accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of plotting to rig the 2023 general elections, noting that the ruling party “is aware that it will have difficulties winning election at any level in a free, fair and credible election.”
Ologbondiyan also commended Nigerians including civil society organizations, the media as well as other political parties, for joining forces with the PDP in fighting for the sanctity of our electoral process by resisting Onochie’s nomination.
He explained that the stiff resistance displayed by Nigerians across board “underscores their collective and unwavering determination to resist and kick out the APC in 2023, despite its shenanigans.”
While urging Nigerians not to rest on their oars, the PDP wants the masses to continue the fight for the nation’s democracy, particularly in further resisting the attempt to alter the Electoral Act to prohibit direct electronic transmission of elections results from polling units.
“It is clear that the APC is pushing for the prohibition of electronic transmission of results because it seeks to use its usual malpractices alteration of figures, switching of results as well as disappearance of ballot materials while on transit to collation centers to, again, subvert the will of the people and manipulate its hold on power in 2023.
“Our party, standing shoulder to shoulder with the Nigerian people, will use every means available and permissible under our laws to ensure that such provision that seeks to institutionalize and endorse rigging is not allowed to pass.
“The PDP, therefore, counsels the APC to read the handwriting on the wall and know that Nigerians are ready and waiting to resist them at any turn ahead of the 2023 election,” the party’s spokesman added.
The Senate has rejected the nomination of Lauretta Onochie as an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) National Commissioner.
The rejection on Tuesday followed the massive outcry that has trailed her nomination, especially from members of the opposition and civil society organisations who claim she is a card-carrying member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
President Muhammadu Buhari had written to the Senate in October 2020, to confirm the appointment of Onochie who is currently his media aide on Social Media, and three others as Commissioners of INEC.
In her introductory remarks during her screening last Thursday, Onochie, however, insisted she is not partisan.
While noting that she had seen the petitions against her which were not only from the opposition but also from people in the APC, she said it was because she is known to be non-partisan and someone who insists on due process.
Onochie, however, insisted that since President Buhari won his second term, she has removed herself from all things political.
According to her, from 2019 till date she has not had anything to do with any political organisation and did not partake in APC’s recent validation exercise.
A former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof Attahiru Jega has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to withdraw the nomination of his aide, Lauretta Onochie, as a National Commissioner of INEC.
He said this would prevent erosion of confidence from the electoral body and process.
Jega also warned the National Assembly against confirming her appointment.
This, according to him, will help to avoid controversy.
Jega told Buhari to replace her with another female from her state, noting there are many other eligible women for the job.
He spoke on Sunday Politics, a current affairs programme on Channels Television, on Sunday night, monitored by The Nation.
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.”
A document has revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari’s aide on social media, Lauretta Onochie is still a card-carrying member of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and equally participating actively in party politics.
Senator Kabir Gaya led Senate Committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday screened Onochie in consideration of her appointment as Commissioner of INEC.
The screening, however, turned dramatic as it went stormy, dividing the panel on her membership of the ruling All Progressives (APC), suspecting that she may become partisan in a job she is expected to be independent and neutral.
The 62-year-old female politician claimed she schooled at the University of Calabar and the United Kingdom, having migrated there at a time.
Onochie who was the last to be screened among the six nominees acknowledged that there were many petitions against her, but said she had experience from her former place of work in the UK where she learnt to be liberal and non-partisan.
But the panel raised concerns on the numerous petitions by political parties, Civil Society Organizations and individuals against her, wondering how she would dust herself of being partisan, given also that she is actively involved in partisan politics.
In her response, Onochie disclosed that she was invited from the United Kingdom in 2014 to join the APC and to work for President Muhammadu Buhari.
She also added that since the second election in 2019 that brought President Muhammadu Buhari into office, she resigned as a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress and also left active politics.
She said: “Distinguished members of the Committee, I am aware of the numerous petitions against me particularly on the current INEC Commissioner. The woman is from Delta State where I also come from, but she is married to a Cross River man and she is representing Cross River and not Delta.
“Since 2019 elections, I have removed myself from active politics and even in the ongoing APC membership drive, I didn’t register and currently, I am not a member of any political party,” she maintained.
But checks from the affidavit she sworn on June 30, 2021, at the FCT High Court, Abuja, she clearly indicated that she remains a member of the APC and was an active participant in a United Kingdom election where she also contested. She equally disclosed her membership of President Muhammadu Buhari’s support organization.
Part of the affidavit read: “That I am an educationist having served as Headmistress of Auntie Margaret International School, Calabar. I have also served as a lecturer at the Epping Forest College, Essex, United Kingdom.
“That I am also engaged in active politics and a member of the Neighborhood Watch and has also contested the Local Government elections under the Conservative party in the United Kingdom.
“I am also a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress and a volunteer at Buhari Support Organization.”
Earlier, she had denied being a member of any political party while responding to Senator Instifanus Gyang’s request for her to speak to the affidavit she personally submitted to the panel while she was preparing to attend the screening.
After her explanation, the Committee became uncomfortable, and when Senator Gyang prodded further, Senator Lawal Gumau who sat next to the Committee Chairman, interjected after he was whispered to by the Chairman.
A sharp disagreement was noticed between PDP Senators and those of the APC.
Senator Seriake Dickson and former governor of Bayelsa State also expressed concern, saying he would have supported the nomination as Onochie comes from Niger Delta, but her membership of the APC was against the position of the constitution, hence a major issue.
The Senate Committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has started the screening of the nominees of President Muhammadu Buhari as national commissioners of the electoral umpire.
One of President Buhari’s aides, Lauretta Onochie is among the nominees to be screened.
The nomination of Lauretta Onochie who currently serves as Senior Special Assistant on New Media to President Buhari has elicited public criticism from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and civil society organizations who are against her nomination on the grounds that she is an alleged card-carrying member of the ruling APC and is not proper to be appointed as an election officer.
Details to follow…
The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party besieged the Senate on Wednesday to protest against the nomination of the Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Lauretta Onochie, for appointment as a National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission, representing Delta State.
The leaders are demanding the immediate reversal of President Muhammadu Buhari’s nomination of Lauretta Onochie as National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Lauretta Onochie is currently the media aide to President Buhari on Social Media.
Led by its National Chairman, Uche Secondus, the PDP described the appointment as a travesty on democracy.
Secondus said Onochie being a card-carrying member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) cannot be appointed into a position that requires a high level of neutrality.
He urged the National Assembly leadership to impress on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately withdraw her nomination.
The party also raised concern over the recent defection of some members of the PDP to APC and blamed it on the approach used by APC in luring the defectors.
The party further accused the current administration of impoverishing Nigeria and subjecting the citizens to untold hardship.
Some PDP lawmakers including the Senate Minority leader, Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe were among those who joined in the protest.
President Buhari earlier in October wrote to the Senate to confirm the appointment of one of his media aides, Lauretta Onochie, and three others as Commissioners of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Others are Professor Mohammed Sani (Katsina); Professor Kunle Ajayi (Ekiti), and Seidu Ahmed (Jigawa).
By Mike Oboh
A coalition of 11 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) on Wednesday raised fundamental questions on why the Senate should reject the nomination of President Muhammadu Buhari’s aide as. National commissioner in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Yetunde Bakare, spokesperson for group said Lauretta Onochie’s by President Buhari was unconstitutional as the nominee is already a Card carrying member of the ruling of All Progressive Congress (APC), and has dual nationality as a Briton.
The civil group said their call for her rejection by the senate was on the ground that the constitution has put a clause on her nomination. Hence, she should be rejected.
Bakare said her nomination will affect the credibility of the electoral body as she cannot be seen as a non-partisan person.
“The constitution mandates that a person nominated as an INEC National Commissioner should be non-partisan. Section 156(1)(a) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria clearly prohibits the appointment of any person who is a member of a political party as a member of INEC,” the coalition said.
“To further ensure the neutrality of the members of INEC, the Constitution clearly mandates in the Third Schedule, Part 1, Item F, paragraph 14 (1) that a National Commissioner shall be non-partisan and a person of unquestionable integrity.
“Mrs. Lauretta Onochie is not only a card-carrying member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and a Special Assistant to President Buhari on social media, but she is also notorious for her partisan, biased, and in some instances inflammatory comments on national issues targeted at perceived or imagined enemies of the Buhari government.
“Given her antecedents, it is highly unlikely that she will remain neutral and objective if successfully screened as one of INEC’s National Commissioners. We contend that her appointment will greatly undermine the neutrality and impartiality of the Independent National Electoral Commission and it will increase mistrust in the INEC and Nigeria’s electoral process.
“The third requirement is that a person nominated as INEC’s National Commissioner should be “a person of unquestionable integrity”. Unfortunately, Mrs. Onochie lacks the integrity to serve as INEC’s National Commissioner due to her previous antics on social media.
“To this end, we the undersigned implore you to use your good office to completely reject the nomination of Mrs. Lauretta Onochie as a National Commissioner into Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC); urge President Buhari to withdraw her nomination in the public interest and in furtherance of his commitment to leave a legacy of a truly independent electoral institution that enjoys the trust and confidence of citizens and electoral stakeholders.”
The group also charged the senate to ensure proper scrutiny and diligence is exercised on the confirmation of the nominations into INEC, as well as ensure that nominees into position into the electoral body are individuals with impeccable character.
The petition was signed by Yiaga Africa, Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA), International Press Centre (IPC), Institute for Media and Society (IMS), the Albino Foundation, Centre for Citizens with Disability (CCD), Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF), Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ), Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) and CLEEN Foundation.