The People’s Democratic Party, PDP, has opposed the appointment of an aide of President Muhammadu Buhari, Lauretta Onochie, as a Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Recall that President Buhari had in the last quarter of 2020 appointed Onochie as an INEC Commissioner.
Onochie’s appointment received heavy criticisms as many said a partisan individual like her should not be an electoral umpire.
However, on Wednesday, June 16, 2021, the Senate President Ahmad Lawan asked the Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to screen President Muhammadu Buhari’s Senior Special Assistant on Social Media, Lauretta Onochie, and five other nominees as INEC commissioners.
But the Peoples Democratic Party has again kicked against Onochie’s appointment as INEC REC and the latest directive on her screening by the Senate.
This is according to a statement by Kola Ologbondiyan, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP.
Ologbondiyan described Lawan’s desperation to appoint Onochie into INEC through the backdoor as an act of rebelliousness to the 1999 constitution as well as impudence to the sensibilities of Nigerians, which he said must never be allowed to stand.
“The People’s Democratic Party, PDP, charges Ahmed Lawan to respect Nigerians by immediately returning the nomination of President Buhari’s aide, Lauretta Onochie as proposed to the Senate.
“PDP asserts that Mr. Lawan will have nobody but himself to blame for the ridiculing of his tenure in office if he fails to return the nomination as demanded by Nigerians.
“The PDP charges Senator Gaya to immediately stand down all deliberations that concern Onochie before his committee,” the statement read in part.
