INEC Appointment: Delta APC Disowns Onochie As Card-carrying Member To Create Soft Landing For Her Senate’s Clearance

In what appears like a move to create a soft landing for her clearance as INEC national commissioner, the Delta state chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC), has disowned Ms. Lauretta Onochie as a card carrying member Of the APC.

BIGPEN reports Onochie nomination by President Muhammadu Buhari has been greeted with discontent tones across the country. Specifically, a group, Concerned Nigerians Group had asked the senate in a protest letter to reject confirmation of Onochie.

Stressing that Onochie was a known partisan supporter of President Buhari and his ruling party, the All Progressives Congress, the group in a letter to the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, said the nomination goes contrary to the provisions of the constitution, which prohibits nomination of partisan people for the office.

But APC in Delta, in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Sylvester Imonina Esq., said that the alleged claim about Onochie were lies that needed to be challenged. “When lie is constantly told without being challenged, it begins to wear the garb of truth”, the party said.

“It is on the above premise that All Progressives Congress (APC), Delta State challenge the insincere calls by PDP and its emissaries of blackmail who want Ms. Lauretta Onochie denied the position of a Commissioner in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“After a painstaking and diligent search on Delta APC membership register and/ or records, our great Party is left with no option than to genuinely inform members of the public that Ms. Lauretta Onochie is not a card carrying member of APC in Delta State.

“Rather, she is one of those seasoned and patriotic Nigerians living abroad whom His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari did call upon to come and serve the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the capacity of Special Assistant (S.A) on Social and new Media.

“In fact, most of our Party members and Deltans alike can attest to the fact that before and during the run-up to the 2015 general elections, the person of Lauretta Onochie was not known in Delta State political circle, how much more being a card carrying member of our great Party.

“Also, during the 2019 general elections, she never played any role in Delta APC that would suggest that she is a card carrying member of APC. In fact, apart from being a presidential appointee under APC led Federal Government, she has no intimate relationship with Delta APC.

“It is therefore preposterous for anyone or group of persons to call for Ms. Lauretta Onochie’s crucifixion. Like others who served the Federal Republic of Nigeria in different capacities in the past, she is presently serving our great Nation as an S.A. to the President.

“Just like Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and several other refined Nigerians called in the past to serve our motherland, and distinguished themselves in their various assignments, Ms. Lauretta Onochie is doing marvelously well in her onerous task of projecting the good works of Mr. President, and by extension the image of our dear Nation.

“Therefore, Delta APC frowns at the way some Nigerians have negatively singled her out for doing her job. Without trying to justify the rape on the Nigerian Constitution by PDP in the past, we want to remind PDP and its apostles of fake news and hate that:

1. President Goodluck Jonathan appointed Ambassador Lawrence Nwuruku as INEC commissioner after contesting election under PDP in 2007! Insincere PDP did not raise an eyebrow.
2. Hon. Yakubu Pai was also a PDP appointee who occupied the position of S.A. to the President on the FCT when GEJ appointed him as INEC Commissioner.
3. The present INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu was also a PDP appointee and D.G. of TETFund yet Buhari appointed him as INEC Chairman. At some point, he was the head of PDP Governorship election fund raising committee!
4. Maurice Iwu was a known card carrying member of PDP and S.A. to former President Olusegun Obasanjo when he was appointed INEC Chairman.
5. Mrs. Ofili Ajumogobia, a special nomination from Odein Ajumogobia, served as INEC Commissioner under PDP led Federal Government.
6. Hajiya Amina Bala Zakari was a PDP appointee (Hon. Secretary of Health and Human Services in FCT) when Yar’ Adua appointed her as INEC Commissioner.
7. Gesila Khan, from Bayelsa, a niece to former President Goodluck Jonathan was River’s INEC REC at a time.
8. Mrs. May Agbamuche, a family member to former Police Commissioner, Joseph Mbu of Rivers State, a known PDP apologist, was an INEC Commissioner.

The party stated that there are many top PDP members’ wives and relations sitting as judges in Appellate Courts in Nigeria, and others too numerous to mention serving in sensitive positions, querying; “Do we then say that they are doing the biddings of PDP in their different assignments?

“From available records, Ms. Lauretta Onochie is a Nigerian and has the requisite knowledge to be appointed as INEC Commissioner. She is as qualified as those who are presently serving in INEC.

“Delta APC calls on her traducers to sheath their sword in respect of her nomination as INEC Commissioner as doing otherwise will be setting a precedent that will deprive qualified Nigerians from serving our nation, either now or in the future”.