There was mild drama at the Senate on Wednesday as opposition senators tackled the leadership of the chamber for approving an indigene of Cross River State, Dr Michael Odeh, as chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).
But the All Progressives Congress (APC) majority senators had their way nonetheless.
No sooner the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, read out the names of the nominee RSIEC chairman and six other members that PDP Bauchi senator, Abdul Ningi raised the red flag.
Ningi queried the rationale for the choice, warning that the Senate would be setting the wrong precedent by approving the nominee.
Controversial senator, Ali Ndume, APC Borno South, joined the opposition senators to thump down the appointment.
Also, the Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro, cautioned his colleagues against actions that could divide the people of Rivers State, such as appointing a non indigene as chairman of the RSIEC.
Ningi said, “Are there no people in Rivers State anymore? Why is this necessary? Mr President, let it be on record that I, Senator Abdul Ningi, stood against this decision, even if it will not stop the confirmation.”
Ndume said there are over a thousand qualified Rivers indigenes who could be considered for the job and wondered the wisdom that informed the decision.
Senator Moro cautioned the ruling APC to be cautious in the handling of the situation in Rivers State, considering that the state was won by an opposition party.
“Rivers is under emergency rule. So, this decision raises a lot of questions. The state is ordinarily not under APC.
“Let it be known that we have some concerns over what is going on in Rivers,” Moro said.
Senate Leader Bamidele however defended the appointment, saying that it did not breach any Nigerian law.
Bamidele further stated that the ad hoc committee which screened the nominees had obtained a decided case from the Supreme Court on similar appointments.
The Senate Whip, Senator Mohammed Monguno, toed Bamidele’s line of argument, saying any Nigerian could be appointed in such capacity in any part of the country.
“Any Nigerian can be appointed to be anybody in any state. This right is guaranteed by the Constitution.
“I can even serve as the governor of Benue, if the people of Benue State so elect me to be their governor,”. Monguno argued.
Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin, who presided over the session, also supported the appointment.
Jibrin cited an example of the current Head of Service of Abia State who is an indigene of Edo State and who enjoys the support of the Abia people.
Jibrin chalked down the opposition to the appointment to “pure politics,” insisting that the appointment did not breach any law.
“In Abia State, the Head of Service is Mr Benson who is from Edo State and nobody is saying anything about that. This is all politics,” Jibrin said
The majority APC senators won the argument and pushed their way through a voice vote.
The newly appointed RSIEC chairman is from Cross Rivers State as the Rivers Sole Administrator, retired Vice-Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas.
The Senate also approved the N1.8 trillion 2025 Rivers State budget.
