PETITION BY CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS OPPOSING PRESIDENT BUHARI’S APPOINTMENT OF LAURETTA ONOCHIE AS A NATIONAL COMMISSIONER OF THE INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION

Introduction

• On Tuesday 13 October 2020, the Senate President read a letter from President Muhammadu Buhari requesting the confirmation of three nominees as INEC National Commissioners and one Resident Electoral Commissioner.
• The three nominees for National Commissioner are expected to replace three out of five National Commissioners of INEC whose tenure was due to terminate in November 2020.
• Lauretta Onochie who hails from Aniocha Local Government Area of Delta state and a current Special Assistant to the President on social media is among the nominees awaiting confirmation by the Senate. She was nominated as National Commissioner of INEC to represent the South-South region.
• On Wednesday, 9th June 2021, eight months after her nomination, the Senate referred Lauretta Onochie’s name to its Committee on INEC to commence her screening as a National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).