Why Lauretta Onochie Denied Buhari Three Times

Just as Peter denied Jesus three times before his appointment with death about 1,990 years ago, Ms Lauretta Onochie last Thursday denied membership of the All Progressives Congress, APC three times before the Senate Committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Her denial of membership of the APC could also be mirrored as a denial of President Muhammadu Buhari, who has lately personified the APC with his usurpation of the National Executive Committee, NEC of the party.

Just as Peter was a fanatical disciple of Jesus, and readily drew his sword to protect Him, Onochie has also drawn her sword in the form of a pen to protect, her political messiah, Buhari.

We remember that Peter drew his sword and cut off the ear of one of the soldiers that besieged Jesus at the garden of Gethsemane.

While Jesus was able to heal the ear of his challenger whose ear was cut off, the sorry state of Nigeria and the rudderlessness of the government of President Muhammadu Buhari tells of his incapacity to heal anyone so attacked by Onochie.

Indeed, Onochie from the testimony of some of her victims is particularly vicious against perceived and real challengers of Buhari.

Atiku Abubakar, the 2019 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP is one of those who have testified as to the viciousness of a strike or slap from Onochie.

In an affidavit the former vice-president personally deposed to as to the harm she has done him, as part of a lawsuit, he said that through her comments on social media that she caused him mental and psychological trauma.

The case between Atiku and Onochie followed from her claim that Atiku could be on the watchlist of the United Arab Emirates for the sponsorship of terrorists.

Atiku is claiming N2 billion from her for that allegation.

While it remains within the purview of Ms Onochie to say what she likes in the defence of her principal, Buhari, however, it is not in her remit to cut off anyone’s peace and cause trauma as Atiku claims she has done to him.

From her hostility to Atiku it is easily seen that Onochie is politically passionate and partisan.

The evidence of her membership of the APC has also been widely reported. She was number 2 on the register of members of the APC in Ward 4 of Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State before the recent revalidation exercise in which she claimed she was not involved.

Her denial of her membership of the APC is no solution to the encumbrance against her nomination if anyone believes her.

Her political partisanship as has been severally reported is in clear violation of the Constitution that provides that only non-partisan persons be nominated into the commission.

However, for an administration that has taken to breaking the law especially in the appointment of persons to offices, it is no surprise.

Onochie on Thursday told Nigerians that she had left off being a member of the APC, simply because she did not partake in the revalidation exercise of members of the party recently concluded. What a convenient answer.

This nomination further soils President Buhari’s already below par credential in making appointments fair and equitable. It is another reflection of the popular saying that Buhari can only work with those he knows. But the bad thing with this is that even while those he knows are doing a very bad job of managing the country, he has by this nomination even gone beyond his remit in constricting the electoral umpire to the reach of only those he knows.

It is a far departure from the case of President Goodluck Jonathan who appointed Prof. Mahmud Jega without ever meeting him or knowing him as chairman of INEC.

But Buhari has done the reversal by picking one of his sycophantic cheerleaders as an electoral umpire.

Even more, the appointment of Ms Onochie from Delta North will put it that the two representatives of the South-South in the commission are ladies from near neighbouring communities. Spin doctors are now claiming that May Agbamuche is representing Cross River.

Whatever, the nomination of Onochie showcases the inherent flaws in the leadership recruitment process of the Muhammadu Buhari persona. It is a defect that is now evident to friend and foe and which only a miracle can cure him.

It is what has brought the country to this position. It took him six months to pick a cabinet in his first term leading to the first Buhari recession.

What Buhari hopes to gain by forcing Onochie on INEC is beyond trusting her to ensure that election results work out in his favour as he leaves office. It is enmeshing whatever legacy he is leaving behind in the mud of history.

Yes, Peter denied Jesus three times but turned around to become one of the greatest apostles of the faith. Onochie denying Buhari and APC three times is also poetically symbolic. Should the Senate lack the courage to stop her, she would be no less than the post-resurrection Peter in inflicting the country with her putrid passions.

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