Akpabio, earlier during plenary on Wednesday, announced President Bola Tinubu’s request for confirmation of the nomination of the RECs for INEC in accordance with the provisions of Section 154(1) of the Constitution.
The Senate has screened and confirmed Etekamba Umoren, Senator Godswill Akpabio’s former aide and Isah Ehimeakhe, an All Progressives Congress card-carrying member as Resident Electoral Commissioners of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The Senate led by Akpabio also screened and confirmed five other nominees namely: Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, Abubakar Maaji, Shehu Wahab, Aminu Idris, and Mohammed Abubakar Sadiq as RECs.
Akpabio, earlier during plenary on Wednesday, announced President Bola Tinubu’s request for confirmation of the nomination of the RECs for INEC in accordance with the provisions of Section 154(1) of the Constitution.
Last week, Tinubu approved the appointment of 10 new RECs for INEC for a five-year term each.
“By powers vested in him by Section 154 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999, Amended) and Section 6 of the Electoral Act (2022), President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of 10 new Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for a term of five (5) years each, subject to the confirmation of the Nigerian Senate,” the statement by the Presidency read.
Meanwhile, some civil society groups working on governance and elections in a petition to the President of the Senate, had demanded the rejection of the nomination of Messrs Etekamba Umoren and Isah Shaka Ehimeakne as RECs because of the links to the ruling APC.
In the petition signed by 17 civil society groups, the CSOs pointed out that nomination of the duo breached section 156(1) and Third Schedule, Part 1, item F, paragraph 14 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Altered), which clearly stated that prohibits the appointment of any member of a political party as a member of INEC.
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