The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday took its protest to the National Assembly over the appointment of Lauretta Onochie as one of the Commissioners of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The National Chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus led the protesters who stormed the National Assembly.
Indeed, the party also vowed to retrieve every seat in which a member elected on the platform of PDP has decamped to any other party.
In a letter addressed to the Senate Committee Chairman on INEC, Senator Kabiru Gaya, titled, “rejection of the nomination of Lauretta Onochie,” the PDP said her nomimation has created a lot of misgivings in the court of public opinion and judgement.
Specifically, the party said no provisions of the constitution favour her nomination.
The letter signed by the PDP National Secretary, Sen. Umaru Ibrahim Tsauri reads “the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has learnt of the nomination of Mrs. Lauretta Onochie as a Commissioner in INEC.
“The nomination which was read on the floor of the Senate and forwarded to your committee for screening has created a lot of misgivings in the court of public opinion and judgement. “Our Party considers it as important to bring to the attention of your committee the fact that our duty is to let you know that the National Assembly must endeavour to do things right and in accordance with the dictates of the laws of the country.
“The Nigeria Constitution 1999 as amended clearly prohibits people like Mrs. Onochie, who is very partisan, in fact, a card carrying member of a political party to be appointed into INEC as an electoral umpire. Section 156(i)(a) and third schedule, Part 1, Item F, Paragraph 14(1) of the Constitution have out rightly disqualified her.
“We are, therefore, writing to ask the Chairman to save the Senate President, the Senate itself and Mr. President from being ridiculed. “We call on your committee to reject the nomination of Mrs. Onochie because she cannot be neutral or independent as she is factually known to be an unrepentant card carrying member of the APC with uncountable number of proofs.
“Her confirmation will be a wholesome abuse of democratic tenets and dragging the reputation of the President and the Senate in the political mud. “Please, don’t make an avoidable legislative and political mistake for the country.”
Addressing newsmen shortly after presenting the letter, Secondus urged the National Assembly to reject her.
“The National Assembly should reject her. It is important at this point that the country must know that in a crisis situation like this, especially on insecurity and economy, what we need from Mr. President is to conduct free and fair election.
“This woman (Onochie) is APC, she’s a card carry member of APC from Aniocha Local Government.
“She will pollute the atmosphere at INEC and she will rig elections. We don’t want this election to be manipulated, even the one for Anambra and the subsequent ones coming in 2023.
“If this woman is there…. she’s a specialist in manipulation. We want the National Assembly to reject her totally and make sure we return this country to sanity.”
Also speaking, the Minority Leader in the Senate and PDP caucus leader in the National Assembly, Enyinnaya Abaribe said, “this letter will be presented immediately to the President of the Senate and Chairman of INEC.
“I can reassure you that justice will be done,” he said.
