Senate withdraws confirmation of REC nominee — 24 hours after

The senate has rescinded its decision to confirm Monday Udo Tom as the resident electoral commissioner (REC) from Akwa Ibom state.

Tom was confirmed on Wednesday alongside three other REC nominees.

But on Thursday, the upper legislative chamber reversed the decision after Akpan Bassey, senator representing Akwa Ibom north-east, sponsored a motion.

Bassey said the senate’s committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not include a petition against the nominee in its report.

“I want to draw the attention of this senate to this order regarding the screening and confirmation of Udo Tom which is the resident electoral commissioner nominee for Akwa Ibom state,” the senator said.

“I wish to draw the attention of the committee on INEC headed by Nazif, to the fact that I and the committee received a petition against this nominee on the 5th of February 2018 and the report of the committee that was laid before the senate did not take cognizance of the fact that there is a petition against the nominee.

“I have with me, the report of that committee on page five. There is no reference, whatsovever to the petition. This same petition was also referred to the committee on ethics and privileges and public petition.

“I therefore wish to seek the authority of this chamber and of the senate president that the confirmation of the nominee from Akwa Ibom be stepped down and sent to the committee for proper work and maybe, thereafter, submitted back to the senate. I am not really against the nominee but I believe that the petition be reflected in the report.”

Sam Anyawu, chairman senate committee on ethics, confirmed that his committee received the petition.

“The committee on ethics received the petition but we wanted the committee on INEC to finish their own report before we juxtapose what they have done with our own report. So we have not sent in our own report yet,” Anyawu said.

After this, his confirmation was withdrawn while Senate President Bukola Saraki referred matter to the committee on INEC for “further legislative action”.