The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, says it will continue to demand the removal of the Acting Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Amina Zakari, as resolved in its 403rd National Working Committee, NWC, meeting, despite unwarranted attacks on its officials by the Presidency.

The party said it is privy to the fact that “Mrs. Zakari who has a strong relationship with President Muhammadu Buhari and a very prominent APC Northwest governor, is collaborating with the ruling party to post Resident Electoral Commissioners of its choice to Kogi and Bayelsa ahead of the forthcoming governorship elections in those states”.

The PDP claimed there were moves to use the period of Mrs. Zakari’s stay as head of the commission to tinker with electoral personnel and materials for the two states in favour of the APC.
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, in a statement on Saturday said “President Buhari, in appointing Mrs. Zakari, failed to take into cognizance the moral call to detach himself from the operation of the electoral body thereby completely eroding the independence of the commission”.

The party said the issue at stake is not that of Mrs. Zakari’s competence or performance in office but the fact of nepotism and her closeness to the President and some key APC leaders, which calls into question the independence of the electoral body under her.

“We want Nigerians to know that with this appointment, INEC has been stripped of its independence and can no longer command the confidence and respect of the citizens and all other critical stakeholders in the nation’s electoral process.

“We however find it astonishing, discouraging and disheartening that the spokesperson of the President will address Nigerians and lie to the entire citizenry that Mrs. Zakari never had any relationship with the President or an APC Governor in the Northwest. This is the height of deception coming from the respected office of the President of our dear country.

“We ask, is the spokesperson of the President, oblivious of the public fact that the Acting Chairman of INEC was once a staff of Afri-Project Consortium, a company well associated with the President?

“Is he by any means feigning ignorance of the fact that Mrs. Zakari also worked in the past as Secretary of Health and Human Services, Social Development and later, that of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Federal Capital Development Authority, then under a current APC governor of the Northwest?

“How much of Mrs. Zakari’s roles in the last general elections does the spokesperson of the President, who has just been appointed, know to warrant his brazen defence?

“Even where we concede to the worn-out argument that the President has the powers to appoint any person he deems fit as the INEC Chairman, does moral obligation not demand that in doing so he should take into cognizance the sensitivity of the position? Otherwise he can as well appoint his wife or brother as the electoral umpire on an argument of merit.

“Whilst the PDP might not be opposed to Mrs. Zakari becoming one out of the numerous national electoral commissioners to be so appointed, we completely reject her being an executive chairman who takes major decisions in an independent electoral commission while having a strong relationship with the President and a prominent APC Northwest governor.

“Indeed, never in the history of Nigeria has there been an executive chairman of the electoral body with such strong relationship with the president of the country.

“If therefore the stance and choice of words of the Presidential spokesperson, which apparently fall short of the civility of a democratic setting, reflect in any way those of President Buhari, then there is serious question on his credentials as a converted democrat.

“Conversely, we caution that presidential spokespersons in representing the President, must note that the psychology of their personal sudden flight to political limelight should not engineer a trauma of monumental deceit to our great nation,” the PDP said.

Insisting that Mrs. Zakari must be removed, the PDP said having in the last 16 years reformed the nation’s electoral system to an enviable status that is being commended by the international community, it cannot sit back and watch too early in the day, its gradual destruction by partisan interest.

The party therefore urged Nigerians, “to rise above sectional, religious, gender and partisan biases and put the independence of INEC, the credibility of the electoral process and the overall interest of the nation above every other consideration in their comments and views on the appointment.”

The PDP stressed that as long as the Acting Chairman remains in office, it would not recognize the electoral body as the Independent National Electoral Commission,INEC, but as the National Electoral Commission, NEC.

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/186075-pdp-insists-on-removal-of-inec-chair-says-zakari-in-strong-relationship-with-buhari.html

.

A very 'strong' allegation that requires a 'strong' investigation and also a 'strong' response from APC.

I heard from a reliable source that prior to Jega's appointment, GEJ has never met him face to face.

For those with 'readingphobia' the summary is that PMB appointed a mistress as INEC chairman.

God is watching!

summary pls

The wailing wailers

I don't know why I find it difficult to forget this line from the presidency..."The PDP has a long road of regret to travel"

PDP should just forget Kogi. Even one year prayer and fasting cannot give it to them.

Wailing wailers will always wail.

Issoryt. IF their plea later get head, I go comment

Say NO to another rigging tool in the hand of Northerners!









PDP Is On The Rise Again!

Gobe

Driver I beg stop me here

PDP? Always crying foul! E be like say opposition no sweet dem @ all! Lmfao!

That woman should be brought down. for democracy sake

I'm with methu on this. A lot points to the fact that the woman could be partisan.

Besides, anyone heading should organization must be acceptable to all parties.

Only the insincere will not see light in methods opinion.

Only APC bigots and people with mindless hatred for PDP that will not express genuine concern over the issues being raised by the PDP. It took us so long to get to where we are in making INEC what it is today hence I will not tolerate anything that could jeopardize her independence and impartiality.
If the PDPs accusations are true then I am disappointed in Buhari and APC. The change mantra should be a progressive change and their actions show they are up to something sinister.
JEGA was very much in the know of who mrs Zakiri is why he bypassed her to logically hand over to another person.
At short of a neutral, impecable astute fellow as INEC boss is unacceptable.

You mean the PDP that almost changed the INEC chairman on the eve of the election with a card carrying member of their's?Now has the moral ground and justification to complain?

Does any one know if Lai's Mohammed's crash course offer still stands?They will need it if we are going to see more of them before 2019.


Lubbish.