Senate Confirms Akpabio’s Former Chief Of Staff As INEC REC

The Senate has confirmed the appointment of Etekarnba Umoren as the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Akwa Ibom State.

Umoren had served as Chief of Staff to Senate President Godswill Akpabio during his time as Minister of Niger Delta Affairs.

His appointment had sparked up controversies, with different groups and civic rights activists asking President Bola Tinubu to revoke it.

But the president had, in a letter read on Tuesday, asked the Senate to confirm Umoren and other nominees.

On Wednesday, Umoren was confirmed alongside Isah Shaka Ehimeakne (Edo), Oluwatoyin Babalola (Ekiti), Abubakar Ahmed Ma’aji (Gombe), Shehu Wahab (Kwara), Aminu Kasimi Idris (Nasarawa), and Mohammed Abubakar Sadiq (Niger).

The remaining three nominees from Rivers, Zamfara and Lagos, Anugbum Onuoha, Abubakar Fawa Dambo and Bunmi Omoseyindemi were absent.

The nominees were confirmed after they were screened on the floor of the Senate Wednesday.

Tinubu said, in the letter, said his request for Senate confirmation of the nominees was in compliance with the constitutional provisions.

The confirmed RECs are to serve a five-year term each, and can only be removed by the president and a two-thirds vote from the National Assembly.

It also approved the nomination of seven persons for appointment as Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs).

The Senate also confirmed the appointment of Mr Shaakaa Chira as the Auditor-General for the Federation.