Jega Opposes, Warns Against Confirmation of Onochie as INEC Commissioner

Former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof Attahiru Jega, has warned the Senate against confirming the appointment of Lauretta Onochie as a National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission.

According to Jega, the confirmation of Onochie, an aide to President Muhammadu Buhari should be overlooked, to avoid any controversy.

He advised that Onochie’s nomination be withdrawn for her to be replaced with another female from her state, stressing that there are many other eligible women for the job.

Speaking Channels Television’s Politics Today on Sunday night, Jega said;

“This kind of controversy is really avoidable. Any person who generated such a controversy; the appointing authorities should be careful because you don’t want to appoint anybody that can raise suspicions or doubts or can lead to a loss of trust of the electoral management body.”

Onochie had on Thursday during her screening by the Senate Committee on INEC, denied being a card carrying member of the All Progressives Congress since 2019.

Onochie’s nomination as Commissioner of INEC for Delta state has since been greeted with despair and disapproval from many Nigerians.