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The Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organization (PPCO) says President Muhammadu Buhari’s admittance that he has an inter-marriage relationship with embattled INEC National Commissioner, Amina Zakari, has vindicated its stance that she cannot be trusted with the collation of the Presidential election results.
The PPCO also dares President Buhari, to in the same vein, respond to elder statesman, Junaid Mohammed, who, more than two years ago, in a media interview, exposed the fact that the President, in his nepotism, nominated Amina Zakari, his niece, and pushed her appointment as commissioner to represent his interest in INEC.
A statement on Saturday by Kola Ologbondiyan, Director, Media & Publicity
PDP Presidential Campaign Organization, wonders why Buhari sees nothing wring with his niece chairing the Presidential Election Collation Centre Committee, of which he is a contender, if he has no ulterior motive.
The party cautioned the President not to allow his personal interest to override national interest.
“It is now clear that in addition to the relationship by affinity, President Buhari also has a consanguinity relationship with Amina Zakari and has not denied that he started his early childhood in Amina Zakari’s father’s house.
“President Buhari’s admittance has effectively established that the PDP has not been crying wolf on the impropriety of involving Mrs. Amina Zakari in the collation of Presidential election results, let alone being appointed to head the final determination of the Presidential election.
“It is totally unethical and immoral for an umpire to insist on officiating a contest even when her impartiality is called to question. Even in the judiciary, judges recuse themselves in cases involving parties they have affinity with. Mrs. Amina Zakari must therefore, recuse herself, if the 2019 presidential election must be credible.
“If, indeed, President Buhari is a man of integrity and is not pushing an ulterior motive with Amina Zakari, why is he insisting that she must be in INEC and that she must be at the collation of Presidential result?
“Furthermore, if President Buhari believes he is popular among Nigerians and can win in a free and fair contest, why is he fixated at manipulating the electoral process, instead of allowing INEC to have a free hand to conduct this election? His overbearingness on INEC is portentous and we caution that such is pushing the nation to the brinks,” the statement reads.
While describing the embattled INEC National Commissioner as a major threat to Nigeria’s democracy, national stability and corporate existence as a nation, the campaign organisation urged her to resign instead of plunging the nation into crisis.
OWEDE AGBAJILEKE, Abuja
