The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked President Muhammed Buhari to reverse the appointment of Mrs Amina Zakari as acting chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The party adduced several reasons for its position, including the charge of nepotism in her appointment, and the fact that she has just a few months before her retirement from the commission.
Mr Metuh also criticised the delay in the Cabinet formation of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), saying it shows that the party “lacks direction and focus on how to govern the country”.
President Muhammadu Buhari had on Tuesday, appointed Zakari as acting chairman of the commission following the expiration of the tenure of Professor Attahiru Jega.
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Barr. Danladi Kifasi, who conveyed the appointment in a letter, said it is with effect from 30th June 2015, until the appointment of a substantive Chairman.
Mrs. Zakari was a National Electoral Commissioner at INEC before her appointment.
Professor Attahiru Jega’s tenure as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) came to an end on Tuesday, June 30.
The former INEC boss, who took over from Professor Maurice Iwu, assumed office on June 8, 2010 during former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.
Professor Jega officially handed over leadership to the commission’s National Commissioner, Ambassador Mohammad Wali, on Tuesday before the appointment of Zakari was later announced.
But the PDP national publicity secretary Olisa Metuh, at a press conference on Wednesday, said the appointment of Zakari as the commission’s boss is “totally unacceptable.”
According to the party, with only three months to go, appointing her as the probably means extending her tenure.
“The PDP is particularly disturbed by the development in INEC where President Buhari, who knew all along that the immediate-past INEC chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega would be leaving office by June 30, had to wait for him to handover to one of the national commissioners only to reverse it immediately, thereby injecting bad blood in the commission.
“The situation in INEC since the PDP government reformed and granted it operational autonomy has been peaceful, but Tuesday’s untidy overruling of Prof. Jega and appointing of Mrs. Amina Zakari as acting chairman which, we gathered was influenced by personal relationship with the Presidency and one of the new governors of the North West, ostensibly to pave the way for the APC at the electoral tribunals, has completely eroded public trust in the commission,” Metuh said.
“In INEC, the PDP states in unequivocal terms that we cannot, as critical stakeholders fold our hands and watch while the Presidency perpetuate actions that diminish the independence of the electoral commission. The PDP has declared the appointment of Mrs. Amina Zakari as unacceptable and demand that President Buhari changes her immediately,” he said.
