Amid Controversy, Senate Approves Zamfara INEC Commissioner Nominee

Nigerian Senate has approved the nomination of Ahmed Bello Mahmud as Resident Electoral Commissioner on Wednesday.

The approval was preceded by controversy between the Senator representing Zamfara Central, Kabir Marafa and Senate Committee Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Suleiman Nazif whose report rejected the nominee on grounds of petition.

Submitting the report to the plenary, Nazif explained that Ahmed Bello Mahmud who was nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari to represent Zamfara was not an indegene of the state.

“That the Senate do receive and consider the Committee report on INEC on the screening of INEC Commissioner nominees”, he said.

“The Committee after it looked at the petition against Zamfara nominee, hereby rejected him on grounds that he is not an indegene of the state. ”

The explanation did not, however, go down well with Senator Kabir Marafa.

Marafa accused the INEC Committee Chairman of compromise, stating that the petition was not accompanied with sworn affidavit as required by Senate rules.

“Mr. President, distinguished colleagues, I have my evidence that the Chairman of INEC Committee has compromised.

“The petition he talked about did not have affidavit that the nominee is not an indigene of Zamfara, therefore, he cannot be rejected.

“Yes, I do know that the nominee hail from Edo state. His ancestors come from Edo, but he was born and bred in Zamfara. He schooled in Kebbi state. ”

Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, however ,demanded the withdrawal of ‘compromise’, saying that the statement was derogatory.

After persuasion from his colleagues, Marafa withdrew the statement and apologised to the Committee Chairman.