Petition Over Party Membership Stalls Confirmation Of REC Nominee By Senate

The Senate Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has postponed the screening of Raheem Olalekan, Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, nominee for Osun State due to petitions against his nomination

Chairman of the Committee Sen. Kabiru Gaya stated this at the screening held at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja.

President Muhammadu Buhari had forwarded three names including that of Olalekan in a letter to the Senate on October 28 requesting their confirmation as REC.

Olalekan was then asked to appear before the committee on Friday November 8.

   The others are Umar Gajiram Commissioner (Borno State) and Dr Alalibo Johnson Commissioner (Bayelsa State).

Gaya who spoke to newsmen after the exercise said that the three nominees were invited to the committee and were all screened.

He said, “They were asked questions and they answered to the best of their abilities, there were no petitions for the two of the candidates Dr Alalibo Johnson and Alhaji Aminu Guram.

“There was a petition against Olalekan from Osun State based on the constitutional provision of the Act which said the President should nominate present Commissioners of INEC of people of integrity and good character and they should not be a card-carrying member of any political party.

“For Olalekan, there was a petition against him that he is a member of a political party, that he has run campaigns and that he is a registered member of a political party.

“We asked him questions he defended himself to the best he could but there is still more to ask him.

“We have given him two days to come back to us for more discussions.”

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