By Taiye Odewale
Abuja
The Senate yesterday rejected the nomination of Ahmad Bello Mahmud as Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for Zamfara state.
It, however, confirmed the nomination of Rufus Akeju representing Lagos state and Mahmuda Isa representing Kebbi state as INEC Resident Electoral Commissioners.
The approval and rejection of the nominees followed the presentation of report by the Senate committee on INEC on screening of nominees for confirmation as Resident Electoral Commissioners.
Presenting the report, the chairman of the committee, Senator Suleiman Nazif (APC, Bauchi North), stated that the two confirmed nominees were thoroughly screened and had satisfactorily passed the process; hence the submission of their names for confirmation.
Nazif, however, blatantly did not offer any cogent reason as to whether or not the other nominee, Mahmud, failed the screening; hence his rejection.
This, however, sparked protests as Senator Kabir Marafa (APC, Zamfara Central) insisted that the “nomination of any person is exclusive right of the President and that any rejection ought to be accompanied with reasons.”
According to him, the rejection is unacceptable and entirely opposed for want of evidence.
But Senator Tijjani Kaura (APC, Zamfara North) alleged that the rejected nominee is originally not from Zamfara state, but from the neighbouring Sokoto state, and urged the Senate not to confirm his nomination.
Consequently, Senate President Bukola Saraki put the matter to vote and the majority of the lawmakers upheld that the nominee be stand rejected.
