Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to withdraw the nomination of his aide, Lauretta Onochie, as a commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Speaking during the swearing-in of members of the State Independent Electoral Commission at the Government House on Wednesday, Tambuwal said the withdrawal is in the best interest of the country’s electoral system.
For the governor, the choice of Onochie is not right for the country’s democracy as the nominee is a well-known partisan individual.
He also asked the Senate to reject her nomination if President Buhari fails to withdraw her nomination
Governor Tambuwal also commended the Federal Government for heeding to public outcry by disbanding the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
He appealed to the Federal Government to recruit more security personnel to tackle the numerous security challenges.
The governor’s remarks come a day after Human Rights Lawyer, Femi Falana, among others faulted Onochie’s nomination as INEC National Commissioner representing Delta State.
In a statement signed on Tuesday, hours after the President announced the appointment, Mr Falana listed some criteria provided in the Constitution to determine who is fit for the position.
One of the criteria included the fact that members must not be partisan – a rule which he says Mrs Lauretta is not compliant with.
He described her as an “unrepentant member” of the ruling party and one who has “consistently attacked members of other political parties.
“To that extent, she is partisan and therefore, not qualified to be a member of the Independent National Electoral Commission,” Falana said.
