On Wednesday, the Senate approved the appointment of 19 RECs to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Additionally, it approved Muhammad Sabo Lamido's appointment to the position of Executive Commissioner, Finance and Accounts for the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Agency (NUPRA).
The confirmations were made after the committees' separate reports on the upstream petroleum sector and electoral matters were taken into account.
The Resident Electoral Commissioners confirmed are Ibrahim Abdullahi (Adamawa); Obo Effanga (Cross River); Umar Ibrahim (Taraba); Agboke Olaleke (Ogun); Samuel Egwu (Kogi); Onyeka Ugochi (Imo); Muhammed Bashir (Sokoto); Ayobami Salami (Oyo); Zango Abdu (Katsina), Queen Elizabeth Agwu (Ebonyi) and Agunndu Tersoo (Benue).
Others are: Yomere Oritsemlebi, Delta; Yahaya Ibrahim Makarfi, Kaduna; Nura Ali, Kano; Agu Uchenna, Enugu; Ahmed Yushau Garki, FCT; Hudu Yunusa, Bauci; Uzochukwu Chijioke, Anambra and Mohammad Nura from Yobe.
Presenting his report, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, Senator Kabiru Gaya said, “to determine their suitability for the positions which they were nominated, nominees were asked questions that bothered mostly on partisanship, membership of political parties, and how they hoped to improve the electoral process if and when their nominations for appointments are confirmed”.
The nominees, Gaya said, assured the committee of their non-partisanship, non-membership of any political party, and promised to discharge their responsibilities diligently according to the laid down laws.
He said the committee found no merit in the petitions against four nominees that bordered on alleged membership of political parties, partisanship, compromise and incompetence.
“The committee did due diligence on the petitions by listening to the defence of the nominees and carrying out a detailed examination of the petitions to determine the validity or otherwise of the allegations against the four nominees”, Gaya said.