Senate rejects INEC REC over citizenship, okays two

Postpones consideration of MTEF/FSP over discrepancies

By Christiana Ekpa

Senate yesterday rejected the nomination of Ahmed Bello Mahmud as a Resident Electoral Commissioner representing Zamfara State, even as it confirmed the nomination of Rufus Akeju and Mahmud Isah representing Lagos and Kebbi states, respectively.
This was just as the Upper Chamber postponed consideration of the 2018-2020 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper over discrepancies. The decision of the upper legislative chamber to reject the nomination of Mahmud was sequel to a report of the Senate committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headed by Senator Suleiman Nafiz.
Sen. Nafiz told the Senate there was a letter from Governor Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari of Zamfara State against the nomination of Ahmed Bello Mahmud lawmaker from Zamfara state, Senator Tijjani Kaura who supported the rejection of Ahmad Bello Mahmud based on the recommendation by the Senate Committee on INEC, alleged that Mahmud is not an indigene of Zamfara State but Sokoto State.
He also noted that the nominee did not gain the support of stakeholders in the state on the matter.
However, the lawmakers adopted the committee report and rejected Mr. Mahmud’s nomination and confiqrmed other two nominees. Recall that in a letter dated Monday, February 27, 2017, then Acting
President, Yemi Osinbajo, had asked the Senate to consider the nomination of 27 RECs for new appointments and re-appointment.
Also Chairman Joint Senate Joint Committee on Finance, Appropriation and National Planning, Sen. John Enoh who made known the discoveries by the committee during Thursday’s plenary, said the committee could not reached a conclusion due to certain matter contained in the report.
The MTEF/FSP which provides the parameters upon which the budget is prepared was supposed to be considered this Thursday by the lawmakers. Enoh informed his colleagues that “there are some matters that are contained in the report at the moment that we need to consult further with the Joint Committee in the House of Representatives.”
The President of the Senate Dr Bukola Saraki urged the committee to ensure that the MTEF is be presented by Wednesday next week.”Please ensure that by Wednesday we consider it, so that we pass it next week,” he urged.