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The Senate has rescinded its resolution to suspend the screening of 27 nominees as Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) until the acting EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu is relieved of his position.
Specifically, Senate President Bukola Saraki who presided over Tuesday plenary, referred the screening of the nominees to the Senate Committee on INEC and report back in two weeks.
This comes as Saraki has replaced the suspended chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, Ali Ndume with Suleiman Nazif, who also chairs the Committee on Labour, Employment and Productivity.
Saraki did not however, state whether the lawmaker would head the two committees simultaneously, as he did not name another person for Nazif’s Labour Committee.
“As you all know, there is no chairman for INEC, so Mohammed Nazif will now chair it. He is to report back in two weeks,” the Senate President stated.
The development followed a motion moved by the Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan and seconded by Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio.
The Senate had on March 28, 2017, suspended the screening and confirmation of the 27 RECs sent to it by President Buhari as a result of the failure of the President to remove the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), after he was rejected twice by the upper legislative chamber based on the negative report from the Department of State Security (DSS).
To this end, the nominees to be screened include: Godswill Obioma (Abia), Ibrahim Abdullahi (Adamawa), Ahmad Makama (Bauchi), James Apam (Benue), Mike Igini (Delta), Nkwachukwu Orji (Ebonyi), Illoh Joseph Chuks (Enugu), Hussaini Halilu Pai (FCT), Sadiq Abubakar Musa (Kaduna), Jibrin Ibrahim Zarewa (Kano), Asmau Sani Maikudi (Katsina).
Others are: Mahmuda Isah (Kebbi), Samuel Egwu (Kogi), Rufus Akeju (Lagos), Mustapha Zubairu (Niger), Agboke Mutiu Olaleke (Ogun), Sam Olugbadebo Olumekun (Ondo), AbdulGaniyu Olayinka Taju (Oyo), Riskuwa Shehu (Sokoto), Kasim Gana Geidam (Yobe), Ahmad Bello Mahmud (Zamfara), Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda (Plateau), Umar Ibrahim (Taraba), Francis Chukwuemeka Ezeonu (Anambra), Emeka Ononamadu Joseph (Imo), Obo Effanga (Cross River) and Briyai O. Frankland (Baylesa).
OWEDE AGBAJILEKE, Abuja
