Again, Senate rejects Buhari’s nominee

The Senate, on Thursday, refused to confirm the nomination of Ahmed Bello Mahmud as a Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) representing Zamfara state.

The action of the Senate, was sequel to the adoption of a report by the Senate committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), chaired by Senator Suleiman Nafiz.
Nafiz, in his report, informed the Senate that there was a letter from the Zamfara State governor, Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari against the nominee of President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said another serving Senator from Zamfara State, Tijjani Kaura, also opposed the nomination. Kaura, admitted on the floor that he was against the nomination. He based his reason on the fact that the nominee is not from Zamfara State.
He claimed that he hailed from neighborhouring Sokoto State.

Senator Kabiru Marafa from the same state, however supported the confirmation of the nominee. Former governor of the state and a serving senator, Ahmed Sani Yerima, was not on ground to break the deadlock.
When the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, put it to a voice vote, lawmakers voted against the confirmation. Mahmud was eventually disqualified.
The Red Chamber, however, gave nod to the nomination of Rufus Akeju and Mahmud Isah representing Lagos and Kebbi states respectively.
The Senate had on March 28, 2017, rejected the screening of twenty seven REC nominees to protest President Muhammadu Buhari’s failure to sack acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ibrahim Magu, despite his rejection by legislators.