The Senate Adhoc Committee on the Emergency Rule in Rivers State has commenced the screening of nominees for the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), with a major point of contention emerging over the nomination of Michael Odey as the chairman of the electoral body.
Odey, a native of Cross River State, came under scrutiny from the panel, chaired by Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, over his non-indigene status, particularly as he hails from the same state as the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Ibok Ekwe Ibas.
While defending his eligibility, Odey said his nomination does not contravene any provisions of the RSIEC enabling law.
“With utmost respect, I have gone through the RSIEC’s enabling law, and there is nothing that precludes the appointment of anybody outside the state as chairman of the electoral management body,” he said.
However, Senator Bamidele expressed reservations, noting that even if the law is silent on the matter, the implications of appointing someone from outside the state must be carefully considered.
He said, “We are also in possession of the law, so make it available to the committee because in my opinion, the Independent National Electoral Commission is about the Federal Republic of Nigeria. When we say State Independent Electoral Commission, it is about that state.”
The Senate Leader added that the nomination raises fundamental concerns about public perception and legal precedent.
“This is not a matter we are just going to gloss over. It has to be something we can defend. Even if the law does not prohibit such an appointment, we must ensure it is not repugnant to public conscience,” the lawmaker said.
He said the committee would re-examine the eligibility criteria under the RSIEC law to determine if such an appointment could serve as a viable precedent for the future.
Other nominees screened for membership of the commission included Lezaasi Lenee Torbira, Arthur Nwafor, Godfrey Mbudiogha, Joyce Akaniwor, Olive A. Bruce, and Chidi Halliday.
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