Senate confirms 19 INEC commissioners

19 Resident Electoral Commissioners of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have been confirmed by the senate.

Their nomination was confirmed on Wednesday October 5, following consideration of reports of the Senate Committees on Electoral Matters.

The committee’s chairman, Kabiru Gaya (APC, Kano), in his report, said the nominees were quizzed on partisanship and membership of political parties.

Gaya who maintained that the nominees are not registered members of any political party, said the committee found no merit in the petitions against four nominees that bordered on alleged membership of political parties, partisanship, compromise and incompetence.

Those confirmed are Ibrahim Abdullahi (from Adamawa), Obo Effanga (Cross River), Umar Ibrahim (Taraba), Agboke Olaleke (Ogun), Samuel Egwu (Kogi), Onyeka Ugochi (Imo), Muhammed Bashir (Sokoto), Ayobami Salami (Oyo), Zango Abdu (Katsina), Queen Elizabeth Agwu (Ebonyi) and Agunndu Tersoo (from Benue).

Others are Yomere Oritsemlebi, Delta; Yahaya Ibrahim Makarfi, Kaduna; Nura Ali, Kano; Agu Uchenna, Enugu; Ahmed Yushau Garki, FCT; Hudu Yunusa, Bauci; Uzochukwu Chijioke, Anambra and Mohammad Nura from Yobe.

Nomination of Muhammad Sabo Lamido as Executive Commissioner, Finance and Accounts, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Agency was also confirmed.