THE Nigerian Senate has approved 15 out of the 27 resident electoral commissioners President Muhammadu Buhari submitted to it for for screening and confirmation.

The Senate released the names on Thursday following the report of its committee on Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC,  which screened 15 nominees. Senator Suleiman Nazif, APC, Bauchi North, chairman of the committee who presented the report said the other 12 nominees are still undergoing screening.

Those confirmed are Hussaini Haliru Pai from the Federal Capital Territory,  Ahmad Makama, Bauchi; and Sadiq Abubakar Musa, Kaduna, who were reappointed. The others are Professor Godswill Obioma, Abia; Ibrahim Abdullahi, Adamawa; James Iorliam Apam, Benue; Nkwachukwu Orji, Ebonyi; Ilona Joseph Valentine Chuks, Enugu; Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, Plateau; Umar Ibrahim, Taraba; Emeka Ononamadu Joseph, Imo; Obo O. Effanga, Cross River; Professor Francis Chukwuemeka Ezeonu, Anambra; Briyai O. Frankland, Bayelsa; and Agboke Mutiu Olaleke, Ogun.

Bukola Saraki, senate president, urged the new Resident Electoral Commissioners to discharge their assignments with high sense of patriotism so as to deepen democratic parties and improve the electoral processes.

Realnews reports that the Senate suspended doing the screening for two weeks after Buhari sent the list to them on March 23, to protest the presidents refusal to remove Ibrahim Magu, as the chairman of the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, after he was rejected twice by the Senate

—  Jun 1, 2017 @ 18:10 GMT