Tambuwal Faults Nomination of Lauretta Onochie as INEC Commissioner

By Oniminya Innocent on Sokoto

Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to withdraw the nomination of Mrs Lauretta Onochie as a federal Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Governor Tambuwal made the call on Thursday when he swore-in the Chairman and members of the Sokoto State Independent Electoral Commission at the Council Chamber of the Government House, Sokoto.

According to him, in the event that Mr President fails to withdraw Onochie’s nomination, he should know that the whole world is watching what is happening, thus appealing to the Senate to reject the nomination.

“I am appealing to PMB to rise above sentiments and do the needful, go by the Constitution as President of Nigeria and not the President of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to withdraw the nomination of Onochie in the interest of this country.

“We must be seen to be doing what will consolidate our gains in the electoral process, not what will obviously, put us in reverse gear… I think Mr President should reconsider his position and respond to the comments of well meaning Nigerians who reject this nomination,” Gov. Tambuwal emphasised.

Asking the President to go back and search for a more credible and competent person to occupy that office, Gov. Tambuwal, who is also the Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party- Governors Forum (PDP-GF) stated that “we should all know that as leaders, we are expected to live above board as there are some irreducible minimum expectations of Nigerians on us when it comes to certain things.

“When you appoint someone who is very clearly a partisan individual into an electoral body, the signs are not too good; and they cannot be. Take it for anything else,” he added.

He further added that: “I believe that the best legacy that PMB can leave for Nigeria and indeed Nigerians is improvement upon our electoral process.

“I have said this several times that if it is clear that the government has not done well in provision of infrastructure, economy, fighting corruption, fighting insurgent and insecurity in whatever form, the best for Mr President is that he lives the best legacy of being transparent and a credible electoral process.”