Senate Committee Screens Yakubu for INEC Chair Today

By Deji Elumoye

The Senate will today screen Prof. Mahmood Yakubu following his nomination as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for a second term of five years by President Muhammadu Buhari.

This is a sequel to the directive of the President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, at Senate plenary yesterday, directing the Senate Committee on INEC to screen Yakubu.

The committee has one week to submit its report.

Yakubu will be screened along with another nominee, Prof. Abdullahi Zuru, who has been appointed as national commissioner in the commission.

Gaya yesterday informed reporters of the planned screening of Yakubu after the submission of the report of the 2021 budget estimates of the commission to the Senate Committee on Appropriation.

He said since the Senate had given the committee till next Tuesday for submission of its report on the screening, the exercise will be expeditiously carried out.

Earlier, while submitting the report on the 2021 budget proposals made for the commission to the Senator Jibrin Barau-led Appropriation Committee, Gaya said N550million was added to the proposals submitted to address acute housing and office accommodation facing the commission.

When Barau, along with the Deputy Chairman, Senator Stella Oduah, asked Gaya where the N550 million will come from, he said it would be taken from the outstanding balance of monies appropriated for the commission in 2020.