Outrage In Senate: Fubara Under Fire For Appointing ‘Stranger’ To Rivers Electoral Body

The Nigerian Senate has criticized the appointment of Michael Ekpai Odey, a Cross River State indigene, as Chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) by the state’s Sole Administrator, Ibok-Ete Ibas.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

This concern was raised on Tuesday during the screening of President Bola Tinubu’s nominees for RSIEC by the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on Emergency Rule Oversight in Rivers State.

During the session, Senate Leader and Chairman of the Committee, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC – Ekiti Central), expressed deep concern over the selection of a non-indigene to head another state’s electoral body. He pledged that the committee would conduct a comprehensive investigation to determine whether such an appointment is legally or constitutionally acceptable — and if it could set a precedent for future cases.

Previously, on June 12, Senate President Godswill Akpabio had read a letter from President Tinubu nominating Michael Ekpai Odey as RSIEC Chairman, along with six others as commission members: Lezaasi Lenee Torbira, Arthur Nwafor, Godfrey Woke Mbudiogha, Joyce Akaniwor, Olive A. Bruce, and Chidi Halliday. Akpabio subsequently forwarded the nominations to the Bamidele-led committee for legislative review and recommendations within two weeks.

Senator Bamidele stressed the importance of revisiting the legal framework guiding state electoral commissions, stating:

“While INEC operates at the federal level, the State Independent Electoral Commission is strictly a matter for the respective state. Even if the law does not explicitly forbid appointing someone from outside the state, we must ensure that such appointments align with public expectations and legal norms. It must be something we can justify.”

He added that Odey’s nomination has brought to light a critical issue that the Senate cannot overlook and will carefully assess to determine whether such a move is justifiable or potentially problematic as a precedent.