Pro-democracy and good governance group, Concerned Nigerians, has written the Unite State, urging her to prevail on the Nigerian President to rescind the appointment of Lauretta Onochie as an Independent National Electoral Commissioner from Delta state, noting that her appointment is unconstitutional.
The group, in a statement by it’s Convener, Deji Adeyanju, said Onochie is a certified card carrying member of the ruling party therefore, cannot represent the people democratically.
Adeyanju said the constitution clearly prohibits a party’s card-carrying member from being appointed as an electoral umpire.
The letter reads thus:
“The Ambassador
Embassy of the United States of America
Abuja, Nigeria
Dear Sir,
NOMINATION OF LAURETTA ONOCHIE: Prevail on President Buhari not to Destroy the Independence of INEC
We write to you as friends of Nigeria and strong democratic partners of our nation on the above subject matter.
President Muhammadu Buhari’s appointment of his Personal Assistant on Social Media, Lauretta Onochie, as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Commissioner from Delta State is a reprehensible attempt to destroy the integrity and independence of Nigeria’s electoral commission.
Lauretta Onochie is an openly partisan, card carrying member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nigeria’s ruling party, who constantly attacks and denigrates critics of the ruling party.
Her appointment is in violation of Paragraph 14 of Part 1 of the Third Schedule to the Constitution as amended by Section 30, Act No 1 of 2010, a member of the Independent National Electoral Commission “shall be non-partisan”.
This constitutional provision prohibits a card-carrying member of a registered political party or a well-known supporter of a particular political party from being appointed as a member of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Her appointment is unconstitutional, illegal, null and void, and unacceptable to the generality of the Nigerian people. We appeal to you to pressure President Buhari to rescind this appoint as it is capable of reversing the gains made in our electoral processes.
Please be assured of the compliments of our warmest regards.”
Vanguard
