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Fred Itua, Abuja
There was a heated debate on the floor of the Senate, yesterday, over a failed bid to reject a nominee of President Muhammadu Buhari, Ahmad Bello Mahmud. Mahmud is a Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) nominee.
Mahmud had been rejected twice, on the grounds that he is from Kebbi State, in spite of the fact that he served as a commissioner of Justice in Zamfara State.
Senate rejected the nominee last year but his name was re-submitted by President Buhari.
Again, he was rejected by the Senate early this year.
Again, Buhari submitted Mahmud’s name a third time.
This time, a recommendation from the Committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission, that the nominee be rejected for the third time was dismissed after a heated crossfire between senators.
Trouble started when committee chairman, Suleiman Nazif, explained why his panel rejected the nominee.
He claimed that that a petition was submitted, which alleged that the nominee is from Kebbi.
As soon as he concluded, Senator Kabiru Marafa, who is from Zamfara and had been lobbying to have Mahmud confirmed, quickly raised a point of order.
Marafa alleged that the committee had been compromised and also claimed that he had documented evidence to support his claim. His position didn’t go down well with the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who presided at plenary.
Saraki called on Marafa to withdraw the statement and apologise and threatened that if Marafa fails to
“do the needful, the issue will be referred to the Committee on Ethics.
“What you have said is an indictment on the entire Senate and you have gone against what our rules say. You need to withdraw the statement and apologise to the lawmaker involved.”
A defiant Marafa stood his ground.
Despite appeals from the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremandu and others, Marafa refused to apologise.
At the Committee of the Whole, lawmakers voted against the recommendations of the INEC committee and confirmed Mahmud as REC-designate.
In a dramatic twist, Marafa apologised as soon as the nominee was confirmed.
Others confirmed by the Senate were Monday Udo Tom (REC), from Akwa Ibom State; Attahiru Garba Madami (REC), from Niger State; and Festus Okoye (National Commissioner) from Imo State. He is to represent the South East.
