- Says Senate’s Rejection Of 12 RECs Implicates 2015 Electoral Conducts
By ‘Dotun Akintomide
The Vanguard for Transparency Leadership and Democracy (VATLAD), a Civil Society group based in Warri, Delta State has kicked at the mode of screening adopted by the Senate for the confirmation of the 27 Resident Electoral Commissioners (R.E.Cs) nominees of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as well as the Senate’s decision to confirm only 15 of the 27 nominees.
The group disclosed this in a press statement jointly signed by its National President, Comrade Igbini Odafe Emmanuel and the group’s Secretary General, Comrade Kelechi Ijeoma which was made available to The New Diplomat, faulting the security claims by the Senate as the reason for the non-confirmation of the other 12 nominees. “We have also reviewed the reported reasons given by the Senate for the non-confirmation of the other 12 nominees which it claims bothers on security reports and or protests written against the nominees.”
The New Diplomat recalls, the Nigerian Senate had on Thursday (last week), June 1, 2017 confirmed the appointment of 15 officials as Resident Electoral Commissioners (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Senator Suleiman Nazif, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, while presenting the report, said all the nominees were cleared by the Nigeria Police, Department of State Services and the Code of Conduct Bureau, adding that the remaining 12 nominees were still under screening by the panel for some security reports received from security agencies and protests from members of the public.
But in the statement, the group argued that since some of the rejected INEC R.E.Cs participated in conducting the 2015 general elections, their rejection by Senate has serious implications on the credibility of the last general elections in the country.
” More curiously is the fact that some of these nominees affected were former INEC R.E.Cs who conducted the general elections for Nigeria in the immediate past dispensation. The rejection of these nominees by the Senate now raises serious credibility questions on the outcome of general elections conducted in the past dispensation and the integrity of these nominees as they seek to be appointed to conduct the next general elections.”
The group strongly condemned the non-transparent approach adopted by the Senate in the screening process saying, “It also sadly confirms that the Senate is still bent on using these nominees as hostages to bargain for the replacement of Mr Ibrahim Magu as EFCC Chairman. This antic is totally condemned; it is irresponsible, undemocratic and unconstitutional. It is imperative for us to remind the Senate that it is now criminal for anyone or agency of government to arrest, detain or punish another person for the offence committed by another person.
“We hasten to refer the Senate to the 2015 Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) in this regard. We also want to state that it is an act of terror for anybody or group of persons under whatever name or guise and for whatever reason, to hold any other person hostage as bargaining tool.
“We unequivocally restate our position in declaring that the Legislative Organ of the Representative and Constitutional Democracy we now practice in Nigeria is the true and most critical symbol of our Government and the only organ of government that has the constitutional power to screen and confirm or reject any Nigerian or group of Nigerians nominated for appointed by the Executive Organ of government into very sensitive and critical agency of Federal government of Nigeria. We fully support that the Senate has the full constitution power and duty to screen all the nominees for appointment to INEC. This is in accordance with section 154. (1) of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, as amended, which states rightly that: “Except in the case of ex officio members or where other provisions are made in this Constitution, the Chairman and members of any of the bodies so established shall, subject to the provisions of this Constitution, be appointed by the President and the appointment shall be subject to confirmation by the Senate,” said the group through the statement.
Frowning at any abuse of power by the Senate the group stated that, “this power given to the Senate to screen nominees for appointments does not arrogate to the Senate the power to conduct such screenings in secret or in a manner that clearly raises doubt on the credibility and integrity of the screening processes.”
While criticizing the Senators for not streaming the R.E.Cs screening live on TV, the pro-democratic transpsrency group stated that, “The Senate has no power to decide which nominee(s) to subjected to open or public screening and aired live on television as it did in case of Mr Ibrahim Magu of EFCC and few others while adopting secret screening for other nominees. If anything, it is the screening of nominees for appointment into INEC that should be conducted publicly on the floor of the Senate and televised live to all Nigerians in view of the anticipated critical assignments INEC undertakes in conducting expected credible general elections that are expected to lead to emergence of people truly, fairly and transparently elected by Nigerians.”
The statement added, “In the light of the above, we are therefore demanding that Senate re-conducts screening of all the INEC nominees and televised live to Nigerian or alternatively, unconditionally confirm all of the nominees immediately. Nigerians will not accept or tolerate attempts by the Senate to use these 12 INEC RECs nominees as hostages to secure their demand for sacking of Mr Ibrahim Magu from EFCC.
“Finally, we wish to remind the Senate that while we continue to solidarise with it to independently and without fear of intimidation and blackmail, carry out its constitutional duty to make laws for Peace, Order and good government of Nigeria, it should be reminded that sovereignty belongs to Nigerians who they represent and who they must listen to on serious matter like INEC screening, failure which, these Nigerians would invoke their constitutional powers to recall the Senators,” the group concluded.
