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| Ahmad Wali handing over to Mrs Amina Bala Zakari |
The acting Chairperson of the Independent National Electoral
Commission, Amina Zakari, has pledged to build on the successes recorded by her
predecessor, Attahiru Jega. The Thursday edition of
INEC’s daily newsletter, sent to PREMIUM TIMES, quoted her as saying she
accepted her appointment with humility and dedication to serve.
“I believe it is just a
continuation of what the former Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, has started
which has been at a high level and there shouldn’t be any problem,” Ms. Zakari
said. “I have been part of the
process: I have known the problems, challenges and I have seen the successes.
What is remaining is for us to build on the successes and try to tackle the
outstanding challenges.”
PREMIUM TIMES report continues:
Ms Zakari noted that a lot had
been done to improve Nigeria’s electoral process under Mr. Jega, but his
efforts had to be advanced.
“I must say it is like
trying to reach an equilibrium because the bulk of the work has been done by
former Chairman, Professor Jega, to bring the quality of changes to election
management to a high level.
“So all we need to do is
to put all hands on deck to improve further on what he has done and improve on
the good practices he has left behind. Basically, with the cooperation of all,
and the support of staff and the people of Nigeria, we should be able to do it
pending when a new Commission is put in place,” she said.
Ms. Zakari, a pharmacist
from Jigawa State, continued, “Challenges cannot be envisaged because they come
as the need arises. So we tackle them as they come-one day at a time. And then
try to sort out administrative issues then the major electoral issues, which a
lot has been put into. We just need to improve where INEC seems to have failed
or erred during the last elections.
“Basically, half of the
Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) are on seat and half of the National
Commissioners are on seat; so we will deliver the best we can until a new
Commission is put in place.
“We will continue working
until a new Commission is constituted. The job will continue; we still have the
Secretary, the Directors and the Commissioners. The Commission will be doing
what it needs to do.”
Ms. Zakari had previously
served as Chairperson of the Governing Council of the National Youth Service
Corps, and Abuja Tourism Board, among many other appointments she has held.
INEC Chair: 13 Political Parties
Back Buhari, Condemn PDP
The Coalition of
Progressive Political Parties, an umbrella organization for 13 registered
political parties in Nigeria, has condemned the statement issued by the Peoples
Democratic Party on the appointment of the acting chairman of the Independent
National Electoral Commission,
President Muhammadu
Buhari had appointed Amina Zakari, acting chairman of INEC, hours after the
outgoing chairman, Attahiru Jega, had handed over to Ahmad Wali.
The PDP condemned Mr.
Buhari’s action and demanded its reversal.
In a statement issued in
Abuja on Thursday and signed by the chairman of the coalition, Bashir Ibrahim,
the parties decried what they described as “the dangerous precedent whereby a
political party is trying to decide for the country who becomes the INEC
Chairman”.
Mr. Ibrahim said the
appointment of the INEC chairman was constitutionally reserved for the president
and commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
and the National Assembly.
In reference to a
statement made in Abuja on Wednesday by the PDP spokesperson, Olisa Metuh,
rejecting the appointment of Mrs. Zakari, the coalition warned that “any
interference by political parties in the appointment of INEC officials is
tantamount to politicizing the process and the Commission itself, which is
capable of creating dangerous schism in the Commission and generating
unnecessary tension in the country.”
“INEC is an independent
election management body which must be insulated from politics and
irresponsible politicking,” Mr. Ibrahim said.
“The power of and
procedure for the appointment of the Chairman of INEC is a constitutional matter
and not subject of bargaining by political parties, especially those who are
yet to come to terms with the fact that Nigeria is on a very strong change
trajectory. INEC is also a regulator of political parties. It is an anomaly for
the parties, which the Commission regulates, to dictate who becomes the its
chairman. Obviously, for some parties, it is still midnight.
“Mrs. Zakari was not
appointed to the Commission by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015. She was
appointed as INEC National Commissioner by former President Goodluck Jonathan
in 2010 and by the time she was appointed acting INEC chairman, she had the
distinction of being the most senior INEC National Commissioner in terms of
time served.
“She is well educated and
had served the Commission as chairman of a number of its committees, including
the sensitive Election and Political Party Monitoring Committee during
President Jonathan’s administration. If she is good to be a national
commissioner of INEC and chairman of its committees under President Jonathan,
then she is good to be the Commission’s acting chairman at any other time.”
“PDP is fully aware that
this is not the first time a transition is taking place in INEC. As recent as
2010 when the tenure of former INEC chairman, Prof. Maurice Iwu expired, he
handed over the commission to INEC national commissioner, Philip Umeadi, before
late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua decided to appoint commissioner, Solomon
Soyebi, as acting chairman.”
The coalition warned PDP
and its “overzealous spokesperson” to steer clear of INEC and desist from any
design to create schism in the commission in the name of opposition politics.
“Opposition politics must
be responsible politics,” Mr. Ibrahim said. “After suffering for sixteen
interrupted years under its institutional mismanagement, Nigerians deserve a
respite from PDP’s meddlesomeness and brinkmanship. PDP’s acidic and divisive
politics has been rejected by Nigerians in the last general election” the
statement continued. We advise that they try some modesty and learn from their
past mistakes instead of trying to give Nigerians more of the same.”
Meanwhile, the United
Progressive Party congratulated Mrs. Zakari on her appointment.
“We commend President
Muhammadu Buhari for exercising his prerogative of power under the Nigerian
Constitution in appointing Mrs. Amina Zakari as the acting chairman of INEC,”
the party said. “We do not share in the unwarranted propaganda by the Peoples
Democratic Party on an appointment in which the president merely exercised his
inherent powers. The issue of lack of due process will arise if Mrs. Zakari is
confirmed the substantive chairman of the commission without passing the
screening and approval of the Nigerian Senate.”
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