Political affiliation: Senate postpones screening of Osun REC nominee

The Senate Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday postponed the screening of a Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) nominee for Osun, Raheem Olalekan.

Senate

The Chairman of the Committee, Kabiru Gaya, disclosed this at the screening held at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja.

The nominee is expected to reappear before the committee on November 8.

President Muhammadu Buhari had in a letter to the Senate dated October 28, requested the confirmation of the appointment of Raheem Olalekan and two others as RECs.

The other REC nominees are Umar Gajiram (Borno) and Dr. Alalibo Johnson (Bayelsa).

Gaya, who spoke to journalists after the exercise said the three nominees were invited to the committee and were all screened.

He said:

      “They were asked questions and they answered to the best of their ability. There were no petitions on the two of the candidates Dr. Alalibo Johnson and Alhaji Aminu Guram.

“There was a petition against Alhaji Raheem Olalekan from Osun State based on the constitutional provision of the Act which said the President should nominate present Commissioners of INEC of people of integrity and good character and they should not be a card-carrying member of any political party.

“For Olalekan, there was a petition against him that he is a member of a political party, that he has run through campaigns and that he is a registered member of a political party.

“We asked him questions he defended himself to the best he could but there is still more to ask from him.

“We have given him two days to come back to us for more discussions.” (NAN)