The manpower to deliver a good election in 2023 by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) got a boost on Wednesday when the Nigerian Senate confirmed the appointment of 19 Resident Electoral Commissioners.

This followed the consideration of the report of its Committee on Electoral Matters which discountenanced the strident opposition to the appointment of some of the nominees on grounds of partisanship or being under investigation for corruption.

The committee’s chairman, Senator Kabiru Gaya (APC, Kano), in his report, said the nominees were quizzed on partisanship and membership of political parties. The nominees, according to the Senator, said were not registered members of any political party.

The confirmed Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) are Ibrahim Abdullahi (from Adamawa), Obo Effanga (Cross River), Umar Ibrahim (Taraba), Agboke Olaleke (Ogun), Samuel Egwu (Kogi), Onyeka Ugochi (Imo), Muhammed Bashir (Sokoto), Ayobami Salami (Oyo), Zango Abdu (Katsina), Queen Elizabeth Agwu (Ebonyi) and Agunndu Tersoo (from Benue).

Others are Yomere Oritsemlebi, Delta; Yahaya Ibrahim Makarfi, Kaduna; Nura Ali, Kano; Agu Uchenna, Enugu; Ahmed Yushau Garki, FCT; Hudu Yunusa, Bauci; Uzochukwu Chijioke, Anambra and Mohammad Nura from Yobe.

Fifteen of the Resident Commissioners are new appointees while four of them are being re-appointed. The renewal nominees confirmed yesterday include Ibrahim Abdullahi (Adamawa); Obo Effanga (Cross River); Umar Ibrahim (Taraba); Agboke Olaleke (Ogun); and Professor Samuel Egwu (Kogi).

Presenting his report, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, Senator Kabiru Gaya said, “to determine their suitability for the positions which they were nominated, nominees were asked questions that bordered mostly on partisanship, membership of political parties, and how they hoped to improve the electoral process if and when their nominations for appointments are confirmed.”

The nominees, Gaya said, assured the committee of their non-partisanship, non-membership of any political party, and promised to discharge their responsibilities diligently according to the laid down laws.

Senator Gaya said the committee found no merit in the petitions against four nominees that bordered on alleged membership of political parties, partisanship, compromise, and incompetence.

“The committee did due diligence on the petitions by listening to the defence of the nominees and carrying out a detailed examination of the petitions to determine the validity or otherwise of the allegations against the four nominees,” Gaya said.

He said the committee found no merit in the petitions against four nominees that bordered on alleged membership of political parties, partisanship, compromise, and incompetence.

The committee had last week, screened the 19 nominees presented for confirmation by President Muhammadu Buhari, of which five are for reappointment, while fourteen are for new appointments.

In July, President Muhammadu Buhari transmitted the names of 19 nominees as Resident Electoral Commissioners of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to the Senate for confirmation.

Their confirmation of RECs had happened despite petitions from individuals and groups who complained that some of the nominees were card-carrying members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) had in a letter dated September 3, 2022, and signed by its deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare urged President Muhammadu Buhari to use his “leadership position to urgently withdraw the names of the nominees submitted to the Senate for confirmation as Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) who are allegedly members of the All Progressives Congress (APC)”.

SERAP had argued that the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended), the Electoral Act and international standards required that elections must be organised by a truly independent and impartial electoral body.

SERAP said, “Withdrawing the names of those nominees who are allegedly members of the APC and replacing them with people of unquestionable integrity and competence, and who are not members of any political party would improve the independence of INEC and promote public confidence in the appointment process.

Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), in another objection to the list of nominees described the list of REC nominees as defective, arguing that the President forwarded the nominations of 15 persons for confirmation without any prior consultation with the Council of State.

With the confirmation of the RECs five months to the first of the 2023 general elections, puts the INEC in good stead to be better prepared and organized to conduct the election with the full complement of staff required to take charge of every important position with responsibilities for the election.