Senators in the National Assembly’s upper legislative chamber are bracing for a clash this morning as the Committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission presses for Prof. Sani Adams’ confirmation after his candidacy was withdrawn on Tuesday.
The Senate did not clear Adams and a presidential assistant, Lauretta Onochie, on Tuesday.
Adams confirmation was halted due to allegations of sexual harassment against him while a lecturer at the University of Jos.
Because the dispute is still before the Supreme Court, the Senate recommended that the professor’s candidacy be withdrawn.
However, our investigation found that Senator Kabiru Gaya, the Chairman of the INEC panel, called a meeting last night (Wednesday) with the sole purpose of clearing Adams.
According to the study, the development is causing discord among senators who have sworn to oppose such a move.
According to a member of the panel who spoke with The PUNCH, he received the invitation for the meeting scheduled for 8 a.m. today around 9 p.m. on Wednesday.
He said, “I don’t know what impression we are creating in the minds of members of the public by rescinding a decision we took barely 24 hours.
“Why can’t we wait until the matter is decided by the Supreme Court before reopening it?”
Attempts to speak with Gaya on phone failed and he had yet to reply to a text message sent to his line on the issue.
Earlier, Gaya had explained that when the university’s management dismissed Adams’ service, he went to Federal High Court for redress and he won.
He said the university appealed the judgement at the Court of Appeal, and the appellate court vacated the judgement of the lower court and upheld the university’s action and imposed a stay of execution on the judgement.
He said the professor is currently at the Supreme Court to seek redress because he claimed that the appellate court determined the case on technical grounds.
