Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari, to withdraw the nomination of Mrs Lauretta Onochie as a federal commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commissioner, INEC.
The governor made the call when he swore in the Chairman and members of the Sokoto State Independent Electoral Commission, SIEC, at the Council Chamber of the Government House on Wednesday.
While drawing Buhari’s attention, in the event he failed to withdraw Onochie’s nomination, to the fact that “the whole world is watching what is happening,” Tambuwal called on the Senate to reject the nomination.
“I am appealing to PMB to rise above sentiments and do the needful, go by the Constitution as President of Nigeria and not the President of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to withdraw the nomination of Onochie in the interest of this country.
“We must be seen to be doing what will consolidate our gains in the electoral process, not what will, obviously, put us in reverse gear. This individual (Onochie) is not only ultra-APC partisan but also very clearly, someone that cannot be recommended for this office.
“I think Mr President should reconsider his position and respond to the comments of well meaning Nigerians who reject this nomination,” Tambuwal emphasized.
Also the Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party- Governors Forum (PDP-GF), Tambuwal advised Buhari to go back and search for a more credible and competent person to occupy that office.
“We should all know that as leaders, we are expected to live above board as there are some irreducible minimum expectations of Nigerians on us when it comes to certain things.
“When you appoint someone who is very clearly a partisan individual into an electoral body, the signs are not too good; and they cannot be. Take it for anything else.
“I believe that the best legacy that PMB can live for Nigeria and indeed Nigerians is improvement upon our electoral process.
“I have said this several times that if it is clear that the government has not done well in provision of infrastructure, economy, fighting corruption, fighting insurgent and insecurity in whatever form, the best for Mr President is that he lives the best legacy of being transparent and a credible electoral process,” Tambuwal stressed.
