An elder statesman, Buba Galadima has alleged that a member of the National Assembly nominated Lauretta Onochie as an Independent National Electoral Commission Commissioner for his governorship ambition.
Galadima made the allegation during an interview on Arise News on Wednesday.
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari submitted seven names, including Onochie’s who is his aide on Social Media, to the Senate for confirmation as INEC Commissioners.
However, the Senate rejected her nomination on Tuesday, July 13, 2021, saying it violated the Federal Character principles.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Kabiru Gaya cited Section 14 (1) 3 of the Constitution which states that “The composition of the Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the Federal Character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few states or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that government or in any of its agencies.”
Reacting to the rejection, Galadima described Onochie’s nomination as shameful and said she should have never been considered.
That woman, Lauretta Onochie was nominated by a member of the National Assembly, not Buhari. That person picked her specifically to plant her in INEC for his governorship ambition for a certain state.
“They say she was rejected due to the Federal Character principles that someone else is already a Commissioner from her region. That means if that person is removed, Onochie could still be considered. It should not happen at all because she is partisan,” he said.