The Senate has approved the sacking of three Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) who were suspended since 2023 for flouting the provisions of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Act
The approval followed the request from President Bola Tinubu, urging the Senate to terminate the appointments of the embattled State Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) for Abia, Adamawa, Sokoto and states.
Sponsor of the motion and Leader of the Senate, Bamidele Opeyemi, sought the invocation of Section 157 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, saying that the law empowers the Chamber to approve the request.
The RECs whose appointments are to be terminated include Dr Nura Ali (Sokoto State); Barr Hudu Yunusa Ari (Adamawa State), and Professor Ikemefuna Chijioke Uzochukwu (Abia State).
He said: “Aware that the aforementioned Resident Commissioners were earlier suspended in 2023, bordering on allegations of infractions of the Electoral Act; compromise of elections and abandonment of duty without cogent reasons.”
The offices of National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Department of State Services (DSS) had indicted Dr. Nura Ali in their respective reports, having confessed to corruption, incompetence and receiving bribe to the tune of $150,000 from politicians.
Accordingly, the plenary, which was presided over by the Senate President Godswill Akpabio, activated the relevant provisions of the Constitution and approve the termination of appointment of the affected electoral commissioners.