Kemisola Oye
HUMAN rights lawyer Mr Femi Falana (SAN) has alleged that at least four out of the ten recently appointed Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) by President Bola Ahmed Tinunu are card-carrying members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
While pointing out that it is unconstitutional to appoint political members to be Resident Electoral Commissioners, Mr Falana said he is prepared to challenge the appointment in the court of law if the Senate goes ahead to confirm the appointment in defiance of extant constitutional provisions.
He said the nation cannot afford to have the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which is constituted of card-carrying members and loyalists of the ruling party and its collaborators.
Falana (SAN), the Chairman of Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond (ASCAB) disclosed that in order to guarantee the credibility of elections, persons who are loyal to any of the registered political parties shall not be appointed as INEC Commissioners and Resident Electoral Commissioners.
According to him, “By the combined effect of Section 154(1) of the Constitution and paragraph 14 of the Third Schedule to the Constitution, there shall be for each state of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, a Resident Electoral Commissioner who shall be appointed by the President and shall not be less than forty years of age. In addition, the person shall be of unquestionable integrity and non-partisan.
“Thus, in order to guarantee the credibility of elections, persons who are loyal to any of the registered political parties shall not be appointed as INEC Commissioners and Resident Electoral Commissioners.”
He said four of them are members and close allies of the All Progressives Congress (APC) while another member has just relinquished the post of a Special Adviser to a former Governor elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“The conduct of the 2027 General Elections must be transparent in every material particular. Therefore, the nation cannot afford to have the Independent National Electoral Commission constituted by card-carrying members and loyalists of the ruling party and its collaborators.
“To that extent, the appointment of the four nominees will be challenged at the Federal High Court if the Senate decides to confirm them in defiance of extant constitutional provisions”, the legal practitioner stated.
Eighteen-Eleven Media reports that President Tinubu on Wednesday announced the nomination of 10 Redodemt Electoral Commissioners (RECs).
The nominees are Etekamba Umoren (Akwa Ibom State), Isah Ehimeakne (Edo), Oluwatoyin Babalola (Ekiti), Abubakar Ma’aji (Gombe), Shehu Wahab (Kwara), Bunmi Omoseyindemi (Lagos) and Aminu Idris (Nasarawa).
Others are Mohammed Yelwa (Niger), Anugbum Onuoha (Rivers), Isma’ila Moyi and (Zamfara).
In announcing the nominations, presidential spokesperson Ajuri Ngelale noted that the president exercised the powers granted him by Section 154 (1) of the Nigerian constitution and Section 6 of the Electoral Act (2022).
“President Tinubu expects the new appointees to abide by the highest standards of professional and ethical conduct in the discharge of their duties,” Mr Ngelale said.
Eighteen-Eleven Media