Amina Zakari has been appointed as the head of election collation centre
for the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for the 2019
elections.
2019: Outrage over appointment of Buhari’s niece,
Zakari as INEC head of collation centre Amina Zakari and Buhari INEC
Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, made the announcement on Thursday.
Amina
Zakari has been a key member of INEC as she has heald certain positions
in the commission. However, her recent appointment has sparked outrage,
with many alleging the appointment is one of the plots by the ruling
All Progressives Congress, APC, party to rig the 2019 election in favour
of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Those decrying her appointment
claim she is the niece of President Muhammadu Buhari. According to the
PDP’s spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan, “While Prof. Mahmood Yakubu can
no longer be trusted to conduct the 2019 general election, it is public
knowledge that Mrs Amina Zakari, the INEC Director in charge of
Operations and ICT, is a direct blood relation of Mr President and as
such, we believe that she cannot be an impartial arbiter in an election
involving her uncle.”
But the question remains: Who is this
Amina Zakari? Amina Zakari, in a report by happeningnownews.com, is the
former Acting Chairman of INEC. She took over the commission after the
former Chairman, Attahiru Jega’s tenure elapsed in 2015. Amina Zakari is
the first woman to chair the commission, though in acting capacity. She
is a princess of the Kazaure Emirate of Jigawa State who completed her
primary education in Kano state. She was the Senior Consultant/Chief
Pharmacist working on PTF-funded health projects across Nigeria.
She
once served as Special Assistant to the President from 2004 to 2007.
She was former National Electoral Commissioner at INEC. She had also
chaired the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) of INEC. She was
chairman of the INEC Planning Monitoring and Strategy Committee
effective November 2014.
Amina Zakari was allegedly first
described as Buhari’s niece on July 27, 2015, in a report by Nigerian
Tribune which had claimed that President Buhari was related to Amina
Zakari. It had quoted a supporter of then president Jonathan, Alhaji
Tanko Yakassa as saying, “I know that the woman from her childhood. Her
father worked with me as my Permanent Secretary before later he became
the Emir of Kazaure. We maintained a cordial relationship until he
passed on.
However, the relationship between him and Buhari is
something that I know of. Anybody around during that time also can
confirm this. He (the late Emir) married the senior sister to Buhariand
he (Buhari) started his childhood in the late emir’s house. The mother
of this woman (Zakari) was either the first or second wife. Aside from
that, Buhari stayed with him for sometime in Kazaure. I know that the
relationship is true.”
However, Yakassai had, on September 8,
2015, in another interview on Channels TV, denied Amina Zakari’s
relations with Buhari. He had said that his actual words were
manipulated by some parties. He was later quoted to have said that
“Somebody added something because I did not criticize her or her
appointment. She is my daughter and a friend to her father was at one
time my permanent secretary. Her mother is a friend to my senior wife.
She is a friend to some of my children. I see no reason why I should
criticize her.”
He had also said that Amina’s “neutrality should
not be contested on the grounds of familiarity with the president
because she is entitled to the post as a Nigerian and a qualified
professional.”
But today’s appointment has shown many Nigerians
condemning the INEC and alleging the commission has been coerced into
becoming tool for the rigging of the 2019 election. What is your take?
Source:- Vanguardngr
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