Senate confirms seven RECs, 3 pending

Senate on Wednesday approved seven out of the 10 persons nominated by President Bola Tinubu for appointment as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral Commissioners.

Those confirmed are Mr. Etekamba Umaren (Akwa Ibom), Mr. Isah Ehimeakne (Edo), Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola (Ekiti) and Mr. Abubakar Ma’aji (Gombe).

Others are Mr. Shehu Wahab (Kwara), Mr. Aminu Idris (Nasarawa State) and Mohammed Sadiq (Niger).

The president on October 25 nominated RECS for Lagos, Kwara, and eight other states.

However, the list has generated reactions in the country with many accusing the president of appointing All Progressives Congress (APC) loyalists to the commission.

The nominees’ confirmation followed the adoption of a motion moved by the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, at the Committee of the Whole.

In his presentation, Bamidele urged the Senate to consider President Tinubu’s request for the confirmation of the nominees.

READ ALSO: Tinubu seeks Senate confirmation of 10 REC nominees

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Sen. Abdullahi Gumel, led the nominees into the chamber.

Thereafter, nominees present individually took turns to give highlights of their career profiles and professional experiences before their eventual confirmation.

In his remarks, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, said the 10th National Assembly was determined to enact a law that would hold electoral managers accountable.

“We all had our experiences on election matters; we will rejig the Electoral Act and make it a law that will work for the good of Nigerians,’’ he stated.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now