Why we reject Zakari as acting INEC Chair' - PDP...says electoral body has been stripped of its Independence | Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog

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Saturday 4 July 2015

Why we reject Zakari as acting INEC Chair' - PDP...says electoral body has been stripped of its Independence

Press statement from the PDP below...
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it would continue to demand the removal of the Acting Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mrs. 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 also alerted of 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.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief 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 pointed out that 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, especially key stakeholders in the democratic process “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).


Signed:
Chief Olisa Metuh
National Publicity Secretary

59 comments:

Unknown said...

Wahala everywhere. Nawao!

NaijaDeltaBabe said...

Deir business

Your No. 1 DATA Vendor Call/WhatsApp 09028450336 (Get Your Cheap & Affordable DATA on All Networks) said...

Hmmm

Unknown said...

politics ish
game has jst begun

BONARIO NNAGS said...

Enough already"wailing wailers"
Nothing is ever good to them, they should criticize constructively and not sound so bitter every time.

~BONARIO~says so via NOKIA LUMIA

Unknown said...

Una never jam! Buhari go soon give u pple order that all of u must bow before him b4 uttering a word to him. Mmeee unu!

COLLIN said...

Kk

Unknown said...

Owk, we have heard.



#TeamBlessed#

Unknown said...

Politricksians! Na dem sabi biko. Linda take note!

Unknown said...

Politricksians! Na dem sabi biko. Linda take note!

Unknown said...

Okay! I guess the PDP are yet to realize what has dawned on them

Unknown said...

Dis press statement mak a lot of sense mostly dis part "Does moral obligation not demand that in doing so he should take into cognizance the sensitivity of the position?".

Thank God for all dis check mating frm d opposition if not they wil b free will to do whtsoever please them.

Unknown said...

Cry cry baby. Pdp, I'm so tired of hearing guys crying over everything Buhari does as if u guy didn't do everything u wanted in the last 16 yrs. It's high time u guys take a sleeping tablet and wake up by 2019.

Anonymous said...

i really dont like the way things are going with this politicians. i thought after the elections we would be safe. HABA!
please LIB readers, i need help with completing a very important registration.i need a total of N7500 to complete. the deadline is wednesday 8th July and i have not been able to come up with it, i will appreciate help from anyone here. thank you
my number is 08123751083

Unknown said...

Crying foul over everything. PDP should just shut up!

Unknown said...

Flexing of muscles

Bonita Bislam said...

At first when PDP started singing like parrots about this woman's appiintment as INEC acting chairman,i thought its their usual aubade.But now im seeing the sense in their chorus.Why not appoint Chairman direct instead of going through the acting process? Jega is deemed to retire for long as such i expected the president to start shopping for his replacement right from the very day the president was announced the president.The INEC chairmanship is a very sensitive position and a northerner in that seat,acting or not negates the principle of democracy in a heteregeneous country like Nigeria.PMB should think again.PDP is right .Afterall she isnt the only qualified candidate in a country of over 160mill people.I like Baba & i believe in him but i disagree with him on this one.Kai babu!

fgtf said...

The kind of opposition pdp is forming I just don't understand.

For every appointments they make a press release

PDP has become the wailing wailers.

Posted via BlackBerry Q5©

Unknown said...

PDP shud give it a rest already...the woman face tho.

Eze said...

A woman as INEC chairman its just so wrong on many levels...she's a B....a man rides her...i doubt if she has a masters degree......never heard of her in Nigeria politics and many more.....pls she shld leave that position asap

Eze said...

A woman as INEC chairman its just so wrong on many levels...she's a B....a man rides her...i doubt if she has a masters degree......never heard of her in Nigeria politics and many more.....pls she shld leave that position asap

FRESH said...

Well,complain all you want.The prerogative of that appointment belongs to the president.

Unknown said...

politics

Unknown said...

Yes you're Right pdp , sometimes I doubt if PMB is actually a converted democrat has been parrell around by d agents of Apc to d innocent Nigerians... watching

Unknown said...

stupid talk.........PDP ABEG PARK WELL.....

SUPER HERO said...

PDP d Buhari I know won't even change any damn thing simply bcos u guys are not cool with it...or aint u reading his body language??

Allybrownny said...

I support them on dis,ha!!!Na wetin?Na only northerners dey Nigeria??Cant someone else do it better?Wink***Lol,na die una dey(PDP)

lami said...

Pdp we are tired of u guys, haven't Nigerians suffered enough from ur misrule of 16 yrs? Stop distracting this Government and let them work, if pdp was sincere and cared about Nigeria and Nigerians we wouldn't be in this mess.

Unknown said...

Na wao, so e don dey pain PDP now.

You people have been in power for 16years naw, so accept your fate as an opposition party. #gbam

Kachi said...

It's well. Everyone needs to brace up, Citizens, civil society organisations, NGOs. Our democracy has to work.

Unknown said...

I also say NO to this woman.. She looks
like a woman that can rig election if properly fingered...🙊

Unknown said...

Enough already!!

Linda cogitate

Anonymous said...

Abel guobadia,was an enemy of pdp when he rig OBJ into power,Murice was not close to pdp when he rig yar adua into power. Abeg park well.

Anonymous said...

Abel guobadia,was an enemy of pdp when he rig OBJ into power,Murice was not close to pdp when he rig yar adua into power. Abeg park well.

Jasmine Joseph said...

Abeg that story too long to read

Jasmine Joseph said...

Abeg that story too long to read

Unknown said...

I hope and pray that Mr. Femi Adesina will not, in his exuberance, force PDP to wash President Buhari's dirty linens in public with regards to his alleged "close relationship" with Mrs. Zakari. It is being rumoured that PDP has both audio and video materials with which to do the public washing. Please let all concerned bear in mind that Mrs Zakari is a woman with husband and children. Her and Buhari's families should be spared the trauma of this looming scandal.

gentle said...

Would the old man even care? Dis is a far cry from the democracy he promised. Our next president come 2019 is firmly in the hands of some northerners. So much for fight against corruption.

GNI said...

BABA GO SLOW BUHARI AND THE NONSENSE CHANGE THEY USE TO DECEIVE US. WONDERING WHY WE HAVE NOT BEEN HEARING FROM FASHOLA, AMECHI AND CHRIS NGIGE ALL THESE DAYS. WHAT HAPPEN?

Ladun Liadi said...

To believe any politician is incorrupt takes credulity to new heights.

Unknown said...

Dis is wht I call checkmating frm d opposition party which is highly necessary in democracy.

GOLDEN GOLD said...

1 million likes

Ladun Liadi said...

Erm.... Bonario, what part of this 'criticism' is not constructive?

Unknown said...

Yea, you're right. He's not saying much but his body language is sending dangerous signals.

Anonymous said...

This boy called Borarios or what is that ur name? Can u shut up already. When adesina used that word, u were one of those that suggest he thread carefully with the choice of his words. But u now use the same word to talk shit which shows that u re really unsteady.

Anonymous said...

Is it true that shes buhari's babe.? Sai baba dey straff person wife.

Anonymous said...

Bonario you are getting dumber by the day with these your irritating comments. Open your eyes before it's toooo late

Etsako Pearl said...

@Hero,u r ryt o!PMB looks like sum1 dat is easily irritated......u go fear..

Anonymous said...

Shatap sir.
Old man.......

Anonymous said...

If u can read and understand,u will realise that they have criticized constructively as againts ur useless brainless comment here...Yes indeed INEC has been stripped off its independence when u appoint a family friend,close confidant etc...someone else laboured for this...he Pa Buhari enjoyed this freedom in d electoral process laid by someone young enuff to be his son.....check urlife Bonario...being partisan is doin damages to u which will only catch up with u after every Liber can eventually conclude that u are a mad man

Anonymous said...

You just proofed that you went to a school and that you can think while standing. Kudos from Alex2j2

Anonymous said...

Bonario or whatever u call urself, must u comment on all posts, over sabi dey worry ur head, not ur fault sha, na Linda wey dey post ur stupid comments I blame, get a life.

Anonymous said...

I never attack anyone on here but this thing called Bonario is just brainless and stupid!

Anonymous said...

Talk about putting square pegs in round holes. As a trained pharmacist, Zakari would serve the nation better in a similar or health related capacity. Even as acting/interim head of INEC, it is a real, unwarranted and unqualified stretch. Is this actually the type of change APC was clamouring for? I dey laff.

Anonymous said...

Pele

Unknown said...

Nice one! Thaz why its good to have an opposition, so that they won't ride us anyhow they want.

Anonymous said...

Very true! Buh still,everytin shld b on a fair ground. INEC shld b independent n putin ur relative,friend or close associate in place is NEPOTISM n at such kills d independency of d electoral body.PDP does av a strong reason to cry foul for dis act. Tnk me lata!!!

Unknown said...

PDP should go & sit down joor, they still have mouths to talk. Shameless people

Unknown said...

what a man can do, a woman can do better

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