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Amina Zakari INEC: IPAC Calls Out For Cancellation Of Zakari’s Appointment

Opposition parties claim Zakari is President Muhammadu Buhari's blood relative

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) along with all other registered political parties under the aegis of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has called for the removal of Amina Zakari as the Chairperson of INEC Advisory Committee and Presidential Election Collation Centre Committee as Zakari is believed to be a niece of President Muhammadu Buhari.

IPAC is the body officially recognized by INEC to speak on behalf of all political parties in the country.

According to The Punch, Mr. Peter Ameh, the President of IPAC, has asked INEC to remove Amina Zakari to ensure transparency and fairness in the upcoming elections.

With the general elections just 45 days away, Ameh said it would be better if the commission avoids such needless controversies ahead of the February 16 presidential election, adding that he had received over 26 calls from party chairmen, reported The Punch.

He said while there is no doubt that Zakari is qualified enough to handle the job since having acted as the chairman of INEC in the past, her position as the chairperson of the Committee on National Collation Centre would continue to cast doubts over the polls.

Notably, opposition parties under the aegis the Coalition of United Political Parties, the Inter-Party Advisory Council, and the Peoples Democratic Party have threatened to pull out of the Peace Accord initiated by the Gen Abdusalami Abubakar-led National Peace Committee if the election commission does not reverse Zakari’s appointment.

The move comes after the Presidency and INEC denied on Friday that the President and Amina Zakari were in blood relations.

INEC’s director of voter education and publicity, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, told Sunrise Daily that the outrage over the appointment is unnecessary. He explained that Amina Zakari has no role in the process of results collation, as alleged by the opposition, revealing that her role is merely an administrative one.

Caroline Finnegan

A professionnal journalist for the past ten years, I cover global news and economic affairs for The Chief Observer.

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