Presidential question of the Senate questions for the State Electoral Commission of Rivers

Tuesday the Senate interrogated the presidential candidate for the presidency of the Electoral Commission of the State of Rivers, dr. Michael Ekpai Odey, for his origin.

Dr. Odey, whose appointment as President of the Electoral Commission of the State of Rivers, was forwarded together with six others as members, in the Senate by President Bola Tinubu last week for confirmation and approval, comes from the state of cross River, the same state with the only administrator of the State of Rivers, Ebok – Eke – Eke Ibas.

Concerned by the development, the Senate through his CEO – Hoc Committee on Emergency Rule in the State of Rivers, asked the candidate to provide him with provisions of the law that establishes the state electoral commission to know if a non -indigenous can preside the commission.

In particular, the President of the AD – Hoc Committee, Senator Opeyeni Bamidele, told the candidate to make available to the Committee, copies of the law to confirm his suitability for the position.

Senator Bamidele said: “We are also in possession of the law. So we are only telling you to make it available to the Committee as a polite way to say that we must give a second glance because, in my opinion, the independent electoral commission is a question that there is no question.

“We must find that defense as stated in the law even if there is nothing in the law that says that you cannot come from the outside of the state.

“Although nothing says that we will still have to look at him to be sure that it is not something that would be repugnant for public consciousness. It must be something that we are able to defend.

“So, we will give a second glance to this. Perhaps to the admissibility criteria, otherwise it is not in doubt. But your appointment as RSIEC has raised a new problem for us to look at so as to know if it is something that can serve from the previous one or not.”

The candidate had in defense of his appointment despite being a non -indigenous spinters State said to the Committee that he had crossed the law that establishes the commission without seeing any clause that prevents non -indigenous people from being appointed as president or members.