Senate commences screening of Onochie as INEC Commissioner despite public outrage

In order to ensure adequate preparedness regarding the 2023 elections, the Senate on Thursday commenced the screening of the Special Assistant to the President Muhammadu Buhari on Social Media, Lauretta Onochie, and other nominees for appointment as National Commissioners of the INEC.

This was chaired by the Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) despite widespread criticism against the choice of Onochie.

Furthermore, a coalition of nine civil society organisations (CSOs) had instituted a lawsuit against President Muhammadu Buhari over the nomination of Onochie as an INEC commissioner.

The applicants had implored the court to declare the nomination of “Lauretta Onochie, a well-known Member of the All Progressives Congress and current serving personal assistant on social media to the 1st defendant (Buhari), as a national commissioner for the Independent National Electoral Commission”, as “wrongful, illegal, null and void and same nullified”.

More details to follow…