INEC reacts to Amina Zakari appointment criticism

Nigeria’s electoral body, Independent National Electoral Commission, Friday has reacted to the controversial appointment of Amina Zakari as head of its collation centre for the 2019 presidential election.

“The committee is primarily in charge of welfare. She was also very involved in negotiating with the ICC management in 2015 for the use of the facility so her duty is to ensure the facility is ready. She has no role whatsoever with the process of collation,” Director of voter education and publicity at INEC, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, said on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.

The Guardian has reported how INEC appointed Zakari as head of the agency’s collation centre committee for the 2019 presidential election.

Zakari is widely believed to be President Muhammadu Buhari’s niece.

However, a spokesman for Buhari Media Organisation and the spokesman of the Buhari Campaign have denied that the INEC chief has any familial relationship with the president.

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) without substantial claims rejected the appointment of Zakari, who had been INEC’s national commissioner in charge of welfare and health.

The Coalition of United Political Party (CUPP) also released a statement rejecting her appointment and demanding her removal.

Osaze-Uzzi further stated that Zakari’s role as head of the collection center committee has nothing to do with actual collation of votes.

He said only the chairman of INEC, who is the returning officer for presidential election, decides the validity of votes.