The People’s Democratic Party, PDP, national leadership on Wednesday, July 1, 2015 vehemently rejected the appointment of Hajia Amina Bala Zakari as acting Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC by President Muhammadu Buhari.
It would be recalled that the immediate past chairman of the electoral body, Prof Attahiru Jega, initially handed over the reins of power to Ahmed Wali after his tenure expired on Tuesday, June 30, 2015.
However, Buhari overruled the appointment some hours later and made Zakari the acting chairman with immediate effect.
PDP argued that the appointment was aimed at compromising the Election Tribunals to promote the selfish interest of the All Progressive Congress, APC.
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh while addressing journalists in Abuja maintained that with Zakari’s appointment, the public no longer have confidence and trust in INEC, alleging that she was made the acting INEC Chairman because of her very strong relationship with the presidency and a governor from the North West who influenced the position for her.
He said, “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.
“Whereas the PDP recognizes the right and powers of the President to appoint the Chairman of INEC and the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), we reject attempts as in the case of the AGF to paint the process as transparent and objective when such was not the case, but brought to question the sincerity and commitment of the present administration to due process.
”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.”
