Senate confirms Buhari’s nominee for INEC job despite petition
The Senate on Thursday confirmed the nomination of Sani Adam as a National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The confirmation of the nominee followed the presentation and consideration of a report by the Senate Committee on INEC.
Mr Sani was confirmed by the Senate despite a petition against him.
His confirmation was initially stepped down by the panel to allow for further investigation into the petition written against him.
Although details of the petition were not disclosed by the panel, PREMIUM TIMES’ findings show that Mr Sani was sanctioned on more than one occasion for physical assault.
As a professor of law and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr Adams served as a lecturer in the faculty of law, University of Jos, between 1995 and 2007.
It was within this period he was indicted for engaging in a physical combat with his colleagues, twice.
The first scenario occurred in an open court, where he engaged another lawyer, James Adokwu, in fisticuffs.
And two years after, Mr Adams was suspended, with half his pay, for physically assaulting a colleague in the faculty of law of the University of Jos – claiming that another male lecturer, Adam Ibrahim, was having an illicit affair with his wife, Aishatu.
Chairman of the INEC Committee, Kabiru Gaya, in his presentation, said the request to confirm Mr Adam by President Buhari was made in accordance with Sections 153(1)(f) and 154(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
He explained that after a thorough investigation into the petition against him, the committee found out that it was “paltry and that the reason for the termination (not dismissal as alleged by the petitioner) was not based on gross misconduct but on the rationalisation policy of the federal government.”
“The court judgement was based on whether or not his appointment should have been terminated and this has nothing to do with his integrity or moral uprightness,” Mr Gaya said.
The panel recommended that the nominee be confirmed.
Mr Adam was, thereafter, confirmed as a national commissioner of INEC in accordance with the Committee’s recommendation.