Again Senate rejects call to consider nominee, adjourns till Jan.16

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December 21, 2017 3:44 PM

Sen. Marafa, under Order 127 of the Senate Rules, explained that a petition by Gov. Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara against Mahmoud...

The Senate on Thursday again rejected a call by Sen. Kabiru Marafa (APC-Zamfara) to consider Mr Ahmad Mahmud as Resident Electoral Commissioner from Zamfara State.

Sen. Marafa, under Order 127 of the Senate Rules, explained that a petition by Gov. Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara against Mahmoud, in which he said he was not from Zamfara, was a “political witch-hunt’’.

The Senate had on Nov. 23, rejected Mr Ahmad Mahmud following allegations that he hailed from Sokoto State and not Zamfara State.

Marafa in his point of order, said, it would amount to injustice, if the senate decided to step down Zamfara REC nominee based on the petition, adding that “senators are not boys of the governor Yari.

“Mr President, distinguished colleagues, I want to come under order 127 of Senate rules to state that there were requirements for which petitions raised must be met."

“I want to say categorically that the governor of Zamfara wrote the petition, and the petition was not backed by affidavit and it should be ignored."

"The nominee, Mr. Ahmad Mahmud was born in Anka, schooled in Zamfara, became Attorney General of Zamfara at a time, was Chairman Zamfara State Anti-corruption Commission,’’ he said.

Marafa stressed that while the nominee was born and bred in Zamfara, governor Abdulaziz Yari’s grandparents were not from Zamfara .

In his remarks, Senate President Bukola Saraki said considering Marafa’s request would be against laid down procedures of the Senate.

He insisted that the Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) be allowed to study the petition forwarded to the senate and turn in its report.

He, however, assured that justice would prevail in the matter.

Meanwhile, senate referred the list of nine REC nominees sent to it from the Presidency for consideration to the committee on INEC for more legislative action.

The nominees are Mr Monday Tom from Akwa-Ibom, Mr Baba Yusuf from Borno, Mr Eric Olawale from Osun State, Dr Uthman Ajidagba from Kwara.

Others are Mr Segun Agbaje from Ekiti, Dr Cyril Omorogbe from Edo, Mr Yahaya Bello from Nasarawa State, Dr Emmanuel Hart from Rivers and Mr Mohammed Ibrahim from Gombe State.

The senate further adjourned plenary till Jan. 16.

The senate would resume committee sitting on Jan. 9 to continue with budget defence and other committee activities.

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