House Of Representatives Move To Strip Tinubu Of Power To Appoint INEC Chairman
By The9jaTREND
The Federal House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review is considering a bill that seeks to strip President Bola Tinubu of the power to appoint the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The proposed amendment aims to involve the National Judicial Council (NJC) in the selection of the INEC chairman, thereby enhancing the independence, credibility, and transparency of the appointment process.
The Electoral Reform Committee, headed by the late Chief Justice of Nigeria, Muhammadu Uwais, in 2007, recommended constitutional amendments that would insulate INEC from the political influences of the executive arm of government in terms of its composition and funding.
The panel recommended that the power to appoint the INEC board be transferred from the President to the NJC, while its funding was to be a first-line charge on the Consolidated Revenue of the Federation.
The panel recommended that the power to appoint the INEC board be transferred from the President to the NJC, while its funding was to be a first-line charge on the Consolidated Revenue of the Federation.
The immediate past INEC Chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega, while speaking exclusively with journalists on the proposed amendment, described the move as a step in the right direction.
According to him, “It is a welcome development. It is one of the many good recommendations on how to insulate the position of whoever is chairman of INEC from political and executive pressures, as well as curing the deep-seated impression that ‘he who pays the piper dictates the tune.’ (Punch)
