INEC Chairman Position: CSOs ask Buhari to send nominee to senate

A coalition of over sixty Civil Society Organizations, CSOs, working on good governance and election issues in Nigeria, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to expeditiously send to the Senate, a nominee for the substantive position of Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

The coalition under the aegis of Nigeria Situation Room, in a press statement it issued in Abuja yesterday, further urged the President to also submit to the senate, nominees for all of the existing vacant positions of National Commissioners and Resident Electoral Commissioners.

It decried that currently, there is only one National Commissioner and an Acting Chair at the Commission which it said should be composed of 13 National Commissioners.

In a letter addressed to President Buhari, the Situation Room expressed fears that the vacancies in the Commission raises avoidable constitutional crisis that could affect its effectiveness, competence and credibility.

The Situation Room expressed deep concern that the credibility and independence of the commission may be tainted by unnecessary controversy that may affect its activities, including the upcoming elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states.