The Senate has officially approved Etekarnba Umoren as the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Akwa Ibom State within the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Umoren, formerly the Chief of Staff to Senate President Godswill Akpabio during his tenure as the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, had a contentious appointment that prompted various groups and civil rights activists to urge President Bola Tinubu to reconsider.
However, President Tinubu, in a letter disclosed on Tuesday, requested the Senate’s confirmation of Umoren and several other nominees. The Senate subsequently confirmed Umoren along with Isah Shaka Ehimeakne (Edo), Oluwatoyin Babalola (Ekiti), Abubakar Ahmed Ma’aji (Gombe), Shehu Wahab (Kwara), Aminu Kasimi Idris (Nasarawa), and Mohammed Abubakar Sadiq (Niger) after their thorough screening on the Senate floor during Wednesday’s session.
Regrettably, the remaining three nominees from Rivers, Zamfara, and Lagos – Anugbum Onuoha, Abubakar Fawa Dambo, and Bunmi Omoseyindemi – were conspicuously absent.
In his letter, President Tinubu emphasized that his request for Senate confirmation of these nominees aligns with constitutional requirements.
It is worth noting that the confirmed RECs are entrusted with a five-year term of service, which can only be terminated by the President and through a two-thirds vote of the National Assembly.
