Senate Makes U-turn, Screens 12 REC Nominees
The Senate Wednesday made a U- turn when it received a report from the Committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), of 12 screened Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs). The report of INEC screening of twelve Nominees for appointment as Resident Electoral Commissioners was laid by the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Suleiman Nazif, APC, Bauchi and seconded by Senator Mohammed Hassan, PDP, Yobe South.
The presentation of the report was sequel to introduction and reading of the twelve names by the Senate Leader, Senator Ahmad Lawan.
At the Wednesday’s plenary, the Senate received the report from its INEC committee.
The twelve nominees are Mrs Asmanu Sani Maikudi from Katsina State; Sam Olugbadebo Olumekun from Ondo State; Mahmud Isah from Kebbi State; Rufus Oloruntoyin Akeju from Lagos State and Riskuwa Shehu from Sokoto State. Others are Kassim Gana Geidam from Yobe State; Jibrin Ibrahim Zarewa from Kano State; Abdulganiyu Olayinka Raji from Oyo State; Samuel Egwu from Kogi State; Mike Igini from Delta State, Mustapha Zubairu from Niger State and Ahmad Bello Mahmud from Zamfara State.
The nominees are expected to be confirmed in the coming days or weeks.
The action of the Senate yesterday came barely two weeks after it boasted that it would henceforth not consider requests for confirmation of nominees from the presidency.
It would be recalled that the Senate, had on the 4th of July, 2017, vowed that requests from the presidency will not be considered until the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo withdrew a statement credited to him, wherein he was quoted to have said that the Senate does not need to confirm nominees from the executive arm, even as the Senate has asked Osinbajo it apologise.