The confirmation of Lauretta Onochie as a Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will be subject to a voice vote by the Senate.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Senator Kabir Gaya, Chairman, Senate Committee on INEC made this known on Tuesday.
Senator Gaya said he was just the chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC and that members of his committee have a say.
He stressed that if those who voted affirmative for the confirmation of Onochie as INEC Commissioner are more in numbers, the yeah usually wins the decision.
“It is all based on the decision taken by committee members. I am just the chairman of the committee, I only coordinate what is going to be done.
“Certainly the members have a say. I will work based on democracy, if the number of those who are more in numbers say yeah, the yeah usually wins the decision.
“Sadly, I will continue to work as the chairman, and I will try to be as fair as I can,” Gaya said.
Recall that Buhari nominated for the second time Onochie, his media aide on Social Media for the position of INEC Commissioner.
The nomination of Onochie has sparked controversy in different spheres for being an ardent supporter of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Gaya, while speaking on Channels TV Politics Today programme, revealed that eleven petitions were received, including a petition from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
He said petitions were received against Onochie’s nomination and some other nominees, and that the committee likewise received petitions supporting the candidature of some nominees.
Gaya stated that the nominees would be invited for screening on Thursday and that they would be questioned based on the petitions received.
“As usual when people or nominees of Mr President come to the Senate, the President of the Senate reads on the floor of the Senate and he then commits it to the relevant committee.
“Like those who are going to be appointed commissioners of INEC, whether national or REC commissioners, then it means that, that would be forwarded to the INEC committee.
“We received petitions from various persons or people, writing petitions against nominees. We have received petitions on some of the nominees of Mr President for this screening, and we will look at the petitions, when they have grounds, then we use the said petition, but where the grounds are not strong enough, then we may only do what is right, and whatever it is, we will do what is right.
“For the nominees, yes we have six people waiting. We should hope that by Thursday, I think we would be able to invite them, this Thursday, and then, screen them before we even discuss the Electoral Act on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“So, we have the petitions; we have received petitions differently but for the number of petitions, all of the petitions were received, passed from the clerk of the committee.
“When we are doing screening, every member of the committee would be given copies of those petitions. Then we ask the nominees questions based on those petitions. If you answer well, fine. If you did not answer well, then, we have the right to take a decision, which is going to be according to the law.
“We have about eleven petitions so far, maybe more may even come tomorrow or by Thursday. Even, we have petition from PDP headquarters. Then we have petitions from other nongovernmental organisations, and then individuals.
“Some have written petitions against her nomination or some other nominees. And then, some have written petitions supporting the candidature of some nominees.
“So, as I said earlier, it’s all based on decision taken by the committee members. I am just the chairman of the committee. I only coordinate how it’s going to be done but certainly the members have a say,” Gaya said.