By HENRY UMORU, Abuja

Senators of the Akwa Ibom Caucus yesterday kicked against the nomination of Lamido A. Yuguda from

Bauchi State by President Muhammadu Buhari as Director-General of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Consequently, Senators Albert Bassey Akpan, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Akwa Ibom North-East; Christopher Ekpenyong, PDP, Akwa Ibom North West and Akon Etim Eyakenyi, PDP, Akwa Ibom South petitioned the senate over non-confirmation of Mary Uduk who has been the acting Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Director-General

In the petition laid by Senator Albert Bassey, the lawmakers questioned the nomination of Yuguda on the grounds that the position ought to have been for an Akwa Ibom indigene, Mary Uduk who has occupied the position in an acting capacity in the last 2 and a half years.

According to the petitioners, besides her long years of service in the commission and i5 being in an acting capacity for two and half years, it was recommended by the Minister of Finance, Mrs.

Zainab Ahmed to the presidency.

The lawmakers queried Buhari’s choice of Yuguda ahead of a more experienced Uduk and appealed to the Senate to do justice to the people of Akwa Ibom State.

However, they said to their chagrin, the name that came to the floor of the Senate as SEC DG was a different person in the person of Yuguda, adding that the person so nominated has no experience on the workings of SEC in comparison with Uduk. They, therefore, appealed for the indulgence of this senate to do justice to Akwa Ibom state.

In a swift reaction, Senator Danjuma Goje, APC, Gombe Central who raised objections against the petition, however, argued that the nomination of Yuguda was not by the Senate but by President.

He asked,” Is this petition against Mr. President or what? It is not the Senate that nominated Yuguda but by the powers conferred on the President. Who is going to defend the petition?

“This is something I don’t understand because it is not this senate that nominated Ibrahim Yuguda. It was Mr president in his own wisdom pursuant to the powers conferred on him by the constitution.”

Responding, the President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan who had earlier referred the petition to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Petition, said that those who signed the petition will be invited to defend their grouse.

It was subsequently referred to the Committee on Capital Market to report back in four weeks. (Vanguard)