The Senate took this decision on Wednesday eight months after the president sent the list of the nominees to the Senate for screening.
It was gathered that the protests by members of the Peoples Democratic Party in the red chamber hindered the process of the screening.
The opposition party had accused Onochie, who is presently a presidential spokesperson of attacking the party at any giving chance.
PDP also condemned the idea of making Onochie a card-carrying member of the All Progressives Congress as an INEC Commissioner to represent Delta State on the board of the commission.
Other names on the list are, Prof. Muhammad Kallah (Katsina); Prof. Kunle Ajayi (Ekiti); Saidu Ahmad (Jigawa); Prof Sani Adam (North- Central); and Dr Baba Bila (North-East).
The panel which is headed by Senator Kabiru Gaya has four weeks to conclude the screening and report back to the red chamber at plenary.
