Senate Makes U-Turn, Confirms ‘Fighting Professor’ As INEC Commissioner

The nomination of Professor Sani Muhammad Adam as National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has finally been confirmed by the Senate.

The upper legislative chamber had earlier stepped down Adam and rejected Lauretta Onochie who were both nominated amongst others as INEC Commissioners by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Adam would be representing the North Central zone at INEC.

His confirmation was initially stepped down on the grounds of a petition filed against him. In the petition, Adam was accused of assaulting his colleague while he was a lecturer at the University of Jos.

The management of UNIJOS was said to have suspended Professor Adams in 2001 and subsequently sacked him in 2007 after engaging his colleagues twice in physical combat.

But the chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Kabiru Gaya, in his presentation, said Adam’s confirmation was done in accordance with Sections 153(1)(f) and 154(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

“After a thorough investigation of the petition against the nominee, the committee found that the petition was weak and that the reason for his termination, not dismissal as alleged by the petitioner, was not based on gross misconduct, but on a rationalisation policy of the Federal Government.

“The court judgment was based on whether or not his appointment should have been terminated and this has nothing to do with his integrity or moral uprightness,” Gaya said.