Nigerians Condemn Appointment Of Lauretta Onochie As INEC Commissioner

Tobi Adebayo 

Nigerians have condemned President Muhammadu Buhari for asking the Senate to confirm one of his aides, Lauretta Onochie as a National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Senate President, Ahmad Lawan on Tuesday read the letter from Buhari bearing the names of four National Commissioners, including Onochie.

Others are Prof. Mohammed Sani from Katsina State; Prof. Kunle Ajayi from Ekiti State and Seidu Ahmed from Jigawa state.

Reacting to the news, a Twitter user, @festusogun tweeted: “The appointment of Lauretta Onochie as INEC Commissioner is unconstitutional, undemocratic and ridiculous. Section 14 of Part 1 of Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution provides that a person to be appointed as INEC commissioner must be a person of “unquestionable integrity”.

@chrisblin tweeted: “Buhari just nominated Lauretta Onochie for the position of INEC chairman while we are protesting. We won’t be stopping this protest soon as the president is already moving mad.”

@aisha_yesufuu tweeted: “So Even in the middle of a severe Protest, buhari still appointed Lauretta Onochie Inec commissioner? A woman whose utterances are unbecoming of a government aide is warming up to be given new wings to fly wild. @MBuhari You should have done better because we have better heads!”

@ayemojubar tweeted: “BREAKING: Buhari asks senate to confirm Lauretta Onochie as INEC commissioner. What!? Never! What’s wrong with this old man? @NGRSenate don’t try it.”

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@bulamabukati: “Appointing Lauretta Onochie to INEC is a contradiction in terms. How’ll you nominate a staunch member of a political party to a body that is supposed to be independent and will make decisions affecting her party? The Senate should reject her and all others affiliated to a party.”

@skinherball tweeted: “If we don’t remove that lauretta onochie as inec commissioner, we will never be able to elect a right leader come 2023. They will rig this election”