The Senate, on Wednesday, ignored the partisan leanings of some nominees and confirmed the appointment of seven out of 10 newly appointed Resident Electoral Commissioners (REC) for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Those confirmed are Etekamba Umoren (Akwa Ibom) Isah Ehimeakne (Edo) Oluwatoyin Babalola (Ekiti) Abubakar Ahmed Ma’aji (Gombe), Shehu Wahab (Kwara) Mohammed Yelwa (Niger) and Aminu Idris (Nasarawa).
The remaining three, Bunmi Omoseyindemi (Lagos), Anugbum Onuoha (Rivers) and Isma’ila Kaura Moyi (Zamfara) were not present at the screening.
Since their appointment, there has been public outcry over the affiliation of Umoren, Ehimeakne and Omoseyindemi to the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Umoren is a member of the APC and a long-time ally of the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio.
He served as the Chief of Staff at the Akwa Ibom State Government House when Akpabio governed the state between 2007 and 2014 and was nominated to serve as the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) under his successor, Udom Emmanuel.
Ehimeakne is an open supporter Tinubu and the APC while the Lagos REC nominee, Bunmi Omoseyindemi, had enjoyed political patronage from Tinubu and his allies since 2001.
But at plenary, President of the Senate announced confirmation of the nomination of the seven RECs after they were cleared through a voice vote at the plenary.
