2023: Senate Confirms 19 INEC RECs, Ignores Partisanship Allegations

The Senate has confirmed the 19 Residents Electoral Commissioners whose names were sent by President Muhammadu Buhari, despite calls for their rejection by some Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).

Naija News reported that some civil organisations had asked the Red Chamber to reject the nominees based on the claim that some of them are members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Senate Committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chaired by Senator Kabiru Gaya (APC Kano South) had, last week, screened the nominees behind closed doors.

Presenting his report to the Senate on Thursday during plenary, Gaya said the committee found out that none of the nominees belongs to any political party or partisan.

He said the committee found no merit in the petitions against four nominees that bordered on alleged membership of political parties, partisanship, compromise and incompetence.

The Senator said the nominees promised to discharge their responsibilities diligently according to the laid down laws.

After laying the report before the lawmakers, the Senate confirmed the nominees as INEC RECs ahead of the 2023 general elections.

The nominees who were confirmed are Ibrahim Abdullahi (Adamawa); Obo Effanga (Cross River); Umar Ibrahim (Taraba); Agboke Olaleke (Ogun); Samuel Egwu (Kogi), Onyeka Ugochi (Imo); Muhammad Bashir (Sokoto) and Ayobami Salami from Oyo State.

Others are Zango Abdu (Katsina); Queen Agwu (Ebonyi), Agundu Tersoo (Benue); Yomere Oritsemlebi (Delta); Yahaya Ibrahim, (Kaduna); Nura Ali (Kano); Agu Uchenna (Enugu); Ahmed Garki (FCT); Hudu Yunusa (Bauchi); Uzochukwu Chijioke, (Anambra) and Mohammed Nura (Yobe).