Buhari forwards list of 27 RECs to Senate for confirmation
President Muhammadu Buhari has forwarded the names of 27 nominees for confirmation as Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs)
The letter was dated February 27, and signed by Prof. Yemi Osinbajo when he was the Acting President. It was submitted to the senate on Tuesday.
Senate President, Bukola Saraki, read the letter during plenary yesterday but it was not referred to a committee because it was not listed on the Order Paper.
Action on the matter will now wait for another legislative date.
Eight of the commissioners are nominated for re-appointment, while 19 are new, the letter showed.
Thirty three RECs have already served their tenure in the commission.
But even with these fresh nominations, there are still six vacant REC seats to be filled while three more will retire in July.
They are Aniedi Ikoiwak (Rivers), Baritor Kpagig (Delta) and Habu Zarma Hinna (Taraba).
Those re-appointed are Ahmad Makama (Bauchi), Mike Igini (Delta), Hussaini Halilu Pai (FCT), Sadiq Abubakar Musa (Kaduna), Jibrin Ibrahim Zarewa (Kano), Rufus Akeju (Lagos), Sam Olugbadebo Olumekun (Ondo) and Kasim Gana Geidam (Yobe).
The new nominees are Prof Godswill Obioma (Abia), Ibrahim Abdullahi (Adamawa), James Iorliam Apam (Benue), Nwachukwu Orji (Ebonyi), Iloh Joseph Valentine (Enugu), Asmau Sani Maikudi (Katsina), Mahmuda Isa (Kebbi), Prof Samuel Egwu (Kogi), Prof Mustapha Zubairu (Niger), Agboke Mutiu Olaleke (Ogun) and AbdulGaniyu Olayinka (Oyo).
Others are Prof Riskuwa Shehu (Sokoto), Ahmad Bello Mahmud (Zamfara), Nentewa Goshwe Yilwatda (Plateau), Umar Ibrahim (Taraba), Emeka Ononamadu Joseph (Imo), Obo Effanga (C/River), Prof Francis Chukwuemeka Ezeonu (Anambra) and Briyia Frankland (Bayelsa).
States that currently have no RECs are Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Edo, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara.
Meanwhile, the Senate yesterday resumed deliberation on a bill seeking to amend the Electoral Act to further improve Nigeria’s electoral system.
