The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, on Tuesday condemned President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to nominate his aide, Lauretta Onochie as a Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
HURIWA described Onochie’s nomination as a direct “murder” of INEC.
The right group anchored its rejection on claims that Onochie was known for peddling fake news and for being a fanatic member of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
HURIWA, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, and Miss. Zainab Yusuf, National Media Affairs said Buhari was setting Nigeria up for a serious political crisis.
According to the statement: “The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has learnt of the appointment of Special Assistant on Social Media to President Muhammadu Buhari; Lauretta Onochie, as an electoral commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission representing Delta State.
“Lauretta Onochie is known on social media for peddling fake news and pictures as some of her claims have been proven to be false including tweeting false pictures to praise the Buhari administration.
“Again, Lauretta Onochie is a fanatical member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and so by her appointment into a Commission tasked with the mandate to conduct elections in Nigeria wherein the All Progressives Congress will participate, President Buhari is setting the stage for a very huge political crisis, which is capable of derailing our democratic process.
“One of the factors that have compromised the credibility of elections in Nigeria is said to be the lack of structural independence of INEC. This was one of the main issues taken up by the Electoral Reform Committee in 2007.
“Among the recommendations that the Committee made was the necessity for guaranteeing the independence of INEC, both through the way that the Commission is funded and through the appointment process for its members.”
