BY EMEKA MAMAH

KADUNA-INDEPENDENT Election Monitoring Group, IEMG, has urged President Goodluck Jonathan, to withdraw the nomination of Amb Lawrence Nwuruku as a National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Alternately, the IEMG has also pleaded with the Senate not to confirm the said appointment of Nwuruku as it was ‘’made in breach of Section 156 of the 1999 Constitution as amended; which makes it mandatory that a member of the Independent National Electoral Commission shall not be a member of a political party,’’ as it would challenge any move to confirm him in court since it was ‘’patently illegal and a breach of the law and the constitution.’’

In a statement by the National Coordinator of IEMG, Festus Okoye Monday, the group said Nwuruku who is currently the country’s Ambassador to Mexico and was nominated to the said position on the basis of his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, adding that in 2003, he contested the Governorship elections in Ebonyi State under the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, before contesting for same position under PDP in 2007.

The statement further said, ‘’he was the State Coordinator, 2007 PDP Presidential/Gubernatorial campaign in Ebonyi State.

‘’He was formerly a National Commissioner in the INEC and left to join partisan politics.

‘’We are concerned that the nomination of Nwuruku as a national commissioner violates the provisions of section 156 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, as he is a member of the PDP while the constitution makes it mandatory that a nominee for the position shall not be a member of a political party”.

‘’The nomination of Nwuruku is a fundamental mistake and breach of the law and the constitution and the Presidency should as a matter of urgency withdraw the said nomination.

‘’The President swore to defend and protect the constitution and cannot be seen to violate the same constitution he swore to protect and defend through the nomination of a candidate whose nomination clearly negates that avowed commitment to fundamental constitutional ideals.

‘’The injection of a person with clear partisan inclination into the top hierarchy of INEC will create an unfortunate atmosphere of suspicion and fear as other commissioners may perceive such a person as a mole deliberately planted by the government to checkmate independent decisions and initiatives.

‘’The nomination will compromise the gains already made by the commission in terms of repositioning itself as an independent, non partisan electoral management body committed to international standards and practices.

‘’We therefore, plead with the President to withdraw the said nomination which we presume was made in error.

‘’Alternatively, we plead with and urge the Senate to rise above partisan political interests and considerations and refuse the confirmation of the appointment of Nwuruku as his nomination breaches the spirit and essence of the ongoing constitutional and electoral reforms.

“The government, its agencies and organs as well as all the major stakeholders in the electoral process must endeavour to re-engage the Nigerian people with the electoral process and this can be done through the maintenance and retention of the current perception of the people that it can be trusted to maintain a certain level of independence and impartiality in the running and management of the electoral process.’’