Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has come under intense attack from a former lawmaker, Dino Melaye for appointing Lauretta Onochie as a National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Onochie is Buhari’s Special Assistant on Social Media.
Melaye, in a press statement he personally signed, described Onochie’s nomination as unconstitutional, affront on the patience of Nigerians and an insult to the institution of INEC.
‘She is biased as a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), hence this is an affront on the patience of Nigerians and insult to the electoral umpire as an institution,’ the statement read.
‘I hereby call on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately rescind her nomination forwarded to the Senate today otherwise I will mobilise Nigerians to challenge this decision, which is unconstitutional.’
The Kogi-born politician added that by nominating Onochie as INEC National Commissioner, President Buhari has violated the 1999 Constitution, which he swore to uphold at all times.
‘It’s a known fact of law that Item F, Paragraph 14 of the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) clearly forbids a card carrying member of a political party to be a member of INEC,’ Melaye stated.
