Lawyers, CSOs, opposition condemn appointment of Buhari’s S.A. as INEC Commissioner

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

Many Nigerians and civil society groups have risen to condemn the appointment of Lauretta Onochie a Special Assistant on Social Media to President Muhammadu Buhari as Commissioner in the Independent Electoral Commission(INEC).

Her appointment was described as an indication that President Buhari is not committed to giving Nigerians free, fair and credible elections.

A former Second Vice President, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Monday Ubani, said that appointing Onochie, a partisan, card-carrying member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), into an electoral commission that is expected to be unbias shows there is something fundamentally wrong somewhere.

Such he said is a clear indication that there is no intention by the President and his administration to guarantee a free and fair election in the country.

Onochie and Buhari

Ubani said, “If it is true that President Buhari has appointed that woman as an INEC commissioner, then something is fundamentally wrong somewhere… You cannot bring in somebody of such nature; somebody who is very political as a member of an umpire that is supposed to be unbias.

“I, Ubani, staked my name and reputation to ensure that President Buhari was elected. I ran down the former administration and enjoined Nigerians to vote for President Buhari because he promised to do things better.

“If President Buhari, with the knowledge of things he knows about this country, appoints that woman as an INEC commissioner, who again am I going to believe in this country that is coming to change the way of doing things?

“By this appointment, what the President has done is that we can all go to hell. It is not about the interest of this nation and it is something that is very condemnable. To say that I’m not disappointed with the appointment of that woman as INEC commissioner, then I will be lying. It is very unfortunate,” he said.

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, among other groups while reacting to the appointment, condemned the President’s decision to nominate his aide as INEC.Commissioner said her nomination was a direct “murder” of INEC.

The National Coordinator of HURIWA Emmanuel Onwubiko, and Miss. Zainab Yusuf, National Media Affairs said Buhari was setting Nigeria up for a serious political crisis.

“Lauretta Onochie is known on social media for peddling fake news and pictures as some of her claims have been proven to be false including tweeting false pictures to praise the Buhari administration.

“Again, Onochie is a fanatical member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and so by her appointment into a Commission tasked with the mandate to conduct elections in Nigeria wherein the All Progressives Congress will participate, President Buhari is setting the stage for a very huge political crisis, which is capable of derailing our democratic process.

A vocal voice from the opposition camp, the Rivers State governor, Nyesome Wike, while addressing the End SARS protestors at Government House, Port Harcourt said Nigerian youths have refused to set their priorities right, as there has become urgent need for reform in the country

Governor Wike said even though the End SARS protest is heating up, young people should focus on real issues including demanding a reform of the Nigerian system.

Wike addressing marmot crowd of end SARS Protesters in Port Harcourt

“In Nigeria, we must choose our priority. Nobody is talking. Let me tell you, just now we have heard that Mr. President has appointed his media aide (Lauretta Onochie) as an INEC Commissioner.

“So, as you are protesting for Police reforms also protest that Mr. President cannot bring his own aide to be a National Commissioner in INEC. That is what is supposed to be done.

“That is rigging. They have started rigging ahead of 2023 and nobody is saying anything,” Wike charges.

Shehu Sani

The former Kaduna Senator Shehu Sani said such couldn’t have happen in the days of Bukola Saraki as Senate President, added that she would have not been able to stand Dino Melaye eye-ball-to-eye-ball.

According to HURIWA, President Buhari has nominated Lauretta Onochie as an electoral commissioner of the INEC representing Delta State.