June 30, (THEWILL) – Members of the National Working Committee of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), on Wednesday, led a protest to the National Assembly over plans by the Senate to confirm Lauretta Onochie as a National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
National Chairman of the party, Uche Secondus, while handling a petition to the Minority Leader of the Senate, Enyinnaya Abaribe, said confirming a card-carrying member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) would be a threat to the sanctity of the 2023 general elections.
In the letter signed by the National Secretary of the PDP, Umaru Ibrahim Tsaur, the party said Onochie’s nomination has created a lot of misgivings in the court of public opinion and judgement.
The letter read: “The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has learnt of the nomination of Mrs. Lauretta Onochie as a Commissioner in INEC by Mr. President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The nomination which was read on the floor of the Senate and forwarded to your committee for screening has created a lot of misgivings in the court of public opinion and judgement.
“Our Party considers it as important to bring to the attention of your committee the fact that our duty is to let you know that the National Assembly must endeavour to do things right and in accordance with the dictates of the laws of the country.
“The Nigeria Constitution 1999 as amended clearly prohibits people like Mrs. Onochie, who is very partisan, in fact, a card carrying member of a political party to be appointed into INEC as an electoral umpire. Section 156(i)(a) and third schedule, Part 1, Item F, Paragraph 14(1) of the Constitution have outrightly disqualified her.
“We are, therefore, writing to ask the Chairman to save the Senate President, the Senate itself and Mr. President from being ridiculed.
“We call on your committee to reject the nomination of Mrs. Onochie because she cannot be neutral or independent as she is factually known to be an unrepentant card-carrying member of the APC with uncountable number of proofs.
“Her confirmation will be a wholesome abuse of democratic tenets and dragging the reputation of the President and the Senate in the political mud. Please, don’t make an avoidable legislative and political mistake for the country.”
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