The Nigerian Senate has confirmed the nomination of Anthony Ayine as the Auditor-General of the Federation.

His confirmation followed the recommendation of the Senate committee on public accounts whose chairman, Andy Uba, said the nominee’s competence was not in question.

Uba noted that though there were protests against Ayine’s nomination, they were not substantial enough to prevent his confirmation.

However, a female lawmaker from Adamawa State, Binta Garba, opposed the recommendation citing a petition which claimed that Ayine is the cousin of the present Head of Service of the federation.

She also said that since the nominee’s last position was a ‘local government auditor’, he would be placed at Grade Level, GL 14 after conversion to federal service, whereas the law stipulates GL 17 as requirement for the office of Auditor-General of the Federation.

But Godswill Akpabio, the Senate Minority Leader, countered the lawmaker, saying that the petition on which she based her claims was misleading.

Akpabio explained that Ayine was a “state’s auditor-general for all local government areas, not just one local government.”

He added that by virtue of the nominee’s position, he was on a level similar to a permanent secretary; therefore, met the GL 17 requirement.

Akpabio was supported by the Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan, and George Sekibo from Rivers State.

They told their colleagues that Ayine had been through the constitutional process, including writing and passing required test before he was nominated by the president.

Deputy Senate-President, Ike Ekweremadu, who conducted the day’s plenary in the absence of Senate President Bukola Saraki, subsequently put the motion to a voice vote and majority of the lawmakers answered in the affirmative.

Ayine hails from Cross Rivers State and joined the State’s civil service in 1988 as Auditor II.

He was nominated as Auditor General of the Federation by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2016 to fill the post currently held by Florence Anyanwu in acting capacity.