Senate Confirms Eight RECs, Rejects One

The appointment of eight of the 12 remaining Resident Electoral Commissioners sent to it for legislative approval was today, July 20, confirmed by the red chamber.

At the plenary on Wednesday, the Senate Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission had laid its report on the 12 RECs nominees at the chamber.

While presenting the report on Thursday, Chairman of the Committee on INEC, Senator Suleiman Nazif, said the panel rejected the nomination of Professor Mustapha Zubairu (Niger) as the nominee comes from the same local government area with the Federal Commissioner of INEC for North-Central.

The panel also suspended confirmation of two other nominees, Mahmuda Isah (Kebbi) and Ahmad Bello Mahmud (Zamfara) for “further legislative considerations.”

The confirmation process took a dramatic turn when the Deputy Minority Whip, Senator Abiodun Olujimi (PDP, Ekiti-South), raise a point of order to object to the confirmation of the Lagos nominee, Ambassador
Rufus Oloruntoyin Akeju.

She said, “Mr. President, I have a court ruling against him, saying he cannot be confirmed as Resident Electoral Commissioner. He went to appeal but his appeal was struck out. He appealed but lost it. The document is here with me.”

See confirmed RECs……

1.) Asmau Maikudi, Katsina

2.) Sam Olumekun, Ondo

3.) Riskuwa Shehu, Sokoto

4.) Kasim Geidam, Yobe

5.) Jibrin Zarewa, Kano

6.) Abdulganiyu Raji, Oyo

7.) Samuel Egwu, Kogi

8.) Mike Igini, Delta