Video: Senators protest and suspend confirmation of Buhari's REC nominees over refusal to sack Magu

President Muhammadu

Fuming legislators in the Nigerian Senate on Tuesday, March 28, 2017, threatened to discard all list of appointees sent by President Muhammadu Buhari to the house for confirmation.

The legislators, in objection, stood down the executive request of the President for the approval of a list of 27 regional executives of Independent National Electoral Commission.

The Senators were annoyed that President Muhammadu Buhari is still holding on to the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu despite his rejection by the upper house of legislature.

The Senators also took fault at comments attributed to the president's close aide, Professor Itse Sagay, who stated that confirmation by the Senate was just a 'mere' duty.

They insisted that if the constitution did not consider the confirmation essential, it would not have been plainly spelled out in it.

On this basis, the Senators maintained that the President should do whatever he wished with the nominations since he had decided to break the laws on Magu.

The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, being aware what could happen, appealed to the senators and asked them to postpone the confirmation of the appointments for till week until things are dealt with.

The legislators acknowledged not to throw out the list following the deputy senate president, Ike Ekweremadu’s agreement with Saraki.

However, they all agreed to stand down the confirmation for two weeks instead of one anticipated by Saraki.

Some of the lawmakers that contended for the motion to hang the confirmation of the regional electoral officers which included Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, Francis Alimikhena and Sam Anyanwu.

Senator Mohammed Adamu Aliero opposed the motion and was unsuccessful to persuade his colleagues on the significance of going ahead with the confirmation of the INEC nominees.