Presidency explains why Zakari was appointed acting INEC chair

The Presidency has countered claims by
the National Publicity Secretary of the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that the
appointment of the Acting Chairman of
the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) was done without
due process.
“Contrary to Mr Metuh’s allegations,
President Buhari’s appointment of Mrs
Zakari as Acting INEC Chariman was
based entirely on merit”, a statement
by the Special Adviser to the President
on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina
said.
The Statement also noted that
“President Buhari certainly did not
“overrule” Prof. Attahiru Jega in
appointing Mrs Amina Zakari as the
Acting INEC Chairman, as Mr Metuh
alleged.
“Prof. Jega’s purported handing over to
another Commissioner cannot be
construed as an “appointment” because
only the President has the
constitutional authority, which he
exercised to appoint Mrs Zakari as
acting Chairman of INEC”, he said.
He urged Nigerians not to regard the
claim that the appointment was
influenced by “personal relationship
with the Presidency and a Governor in
the North-West to pave the way for the
APC at election tribunals.
“The allegations are nothing but
falsehoods contrived by Mr Metuh to
unjustly denigrate a President popularly
elected by Nigerians to undo the damage
done to the nation by years of PDP
rule”, he maintained.
Adesina also took a swipe at the PDP
Scribe, maintaining that “other than
boring reporters at his press
conference with a rehash of baseless
allegations of inaction against the
President, Mr Metuh clearly had nothing
new to say apart from his charge of
nepotism and partisanship in the
appointment of the Acting INEC
Chairman, which also lacks any factual
foundation.Mr Metuh had earlier on Wednesday told
reporters during a press conference in
Abuja that the PDP rejects the
appointment of Mrs Zakari, adding that
the appointment was nepotic and did not
follow due process.

He further noted that Mrs Zakari got
the appointment based “on merit, her
vast experience in the internal
operations of INEC and the President’s
commitment to affirmative action in
support of gender equality” because
“apart from being fully qualified for the
position, Mrs Zakari was the only woman
among the six Commissioners
considered”.