2019: Senate screens REC nominees

The Senate on Wednesday commenced screening of 27 Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The screening which was carried out by the Senate Committee on INEC, witnessed the screening of six nominees.

Those screened include Godswill Obioma (Abia), Ibrahim Abdullahi (Adamawa), James Apam (Benue), Nkwachukwu Orji (Ebonyi), Illoh Joseph Chuks (Enugu) and Asmau Sani Maikudi (Katsina).

Members of the panel asked relatively cheap questions to the nominees, unlike in the past where tough questions were put before them.

In contrast to parliamentary practice where only former lawmakers were given the opportunity of taking a bow, two of the nominees were asked to take a bow and leave without any question put to them.

They include Illoh Joseph Chuks from Enugu State and the only female nominee screened, Asmau Sani Maikudi from Katsina State.

A member of the committee, Gilbert Nnaji (PDP, Enugu State) pleaded with his colleagues to allow Illoh take a bow, adding that the other two nominees from the state: Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu and Chukwuka Utazi had already given their endorsement of the nominee.

Another committee member James Manager (PDP, Delta State) wanted to ask the nominee a question but all other members of the committee insisted that the nominee should take a bow.

At this point, chairman of the panel Suleiman Nasif, asked the nominee to leave.

The only female nominee Maikudi was also asked to leave without a question after committee chairman asked that her husband who was waiting in the passage should come in with her.

Nasif asked her to give a brief background of her professional career, after which he told the nominee that the panel is ‘gender friendly’ and she was asked to leave.

Recall that on March 23, Senate President Bukola Saraki read a letter from President Muhammadu Buhari nominating 27 nominees for confirmation as Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The document was dated 27 February, 2017.

The Senate had on March 28, 2017, suspended the screening and confirmation of the 27 RECs sent to it by President Muhammadu Buhari as a result of the failure of the President to remove the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu.

However, it rescinded its decision on Tuesday May 2, even as Senate President explained that this was done in the interest of the nation.

OWEDE AGBAJILEKE, Abuja