The propriety of the appointment of President Muhammadu Buhari’s assumed “blood relation” as acting chairman of the nation’s election management body is an issue to many.

Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor, Dapo Akinrefon, Charles Kumolu & Gbenga Oke

Mrs Amina Bala Zakari

Chief Olisa Metuh, the spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP was seemingly enthusiastic last Tuesday. For the first time the opposition party spokesman seemed to have found a weapon to puncture the clean image that has been generally said of President Muhammadu Buhari with his depiction of the appointment the president’s alleged blood relation as the nation’s chief election umpire as the height of corruption.

Like a man desperate to find fault, he said:

“The president decided to make a mockery of our laws by appointing his blood relation as the chairman of INEC and this is the height of nepotism and is indeed the height of corruption. What is worse than corrupting the electoral process? in fact we dare say that this is the height of corruption.”

Height of corruption

The appointment of the Queens School educated pharmacist, Mrs. Amina Bala Zakari has raised feathers especially after the national commissioner designated by Prof. Attahiru Jega as his successor was overlooked by the president to give Zakari the job in acting capacity.

Remarkably, Zakari’s tenure as a national commissioner was to end on July 21, but she has remained in office on the perceived understanding that she has been appointed as acting chairman of the commission by the president.

Abdulkadir Oniyangi, a national commissioner who was appointed the same time with her left office on July 21, a development that brought concern to some stakeholders to the effect that the president may have overreached himself in proclaiming a national chairman of INEC without the consent of the Senate as required.

Defenders of the president’s action say that Mrs. Zakari’s appointment being in acting capacity does not warrant the kind of criticism that has come from the PDP.

However, the PDP is unwavering in its attack as it on Wednesday cited her appointment as a major gaffe of the Buhari administration.

At a press conference in Abuja, the national chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus said: “we urge Mr. President to take a critical look at the issue of the appointment of Mrs. Amina Zakari as Acting Chairman of INEC for which our party has severally raised some salient issues why she is not suitable for that position. It is incontrovertible that Mrs. Zakari by virtue of her blood relationship with Mr. President cannot preside over the affairs of an Independent National Electoral Commission.”

Remarkably, Mrs. Zakari was appointed as a national commissioner by the PDP’s President Goodluck Jonathan.

Blood relationship

The PDP’s assertion nonetheless, the commentary on the development is very mixed with some major stakeholders holding different opinion on the issue.

Her tenure is justified—Sagay

Constitutional lawyer, Professor Itse Sagay, SAN, said the appointment of Zakari as acting chairperson of INEC was valid and are backed by relevant provisions of the constitution.

Sagay said “as far as I know, he (Buhari) has only appointed her as acting chairman. It is in an acting capacity, that is all. She was appointed to act when her tenure was still on and from what I gathered, the tenure was terminated by the appointment. Her tenure, as acting chairman, is a totally new one and has legal entity.”

The legal luminary noted that her appointment “is a totally new thing, which has a life of its own, which can be justified by some relevant provisions of the constitution. The appointment is valid in an acting capacity. If she is going to be the chairman, then, the president has to send her name for Senate for approval.”

She’s being pulled into a mess—Fasehun

On his part, founder of the Oodua Peoples Congress, Dr Frederick Fasehun said the acting INEC chairperson was being pulled into a mess unknowingly.

Fasehun said “she is a decent person and a decent character. What I think is that she is being pulled into a mess and she does not know that. She knows that she cannot be acting and confirmed, moreso that people have commented on her relationship with the president. I think she knows what to do.

Buhari has done nothing wrong—Tsav

Similarly, a retired Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav said: ‘’Much as I can say that the President has done nothing wrong by allowing her to continue in acting capacity, I will caution that he should not also do things in isolation. Buhari as a believer in the rule of law will not do anything that will bring the law to shame. We are all aware of the trouble that the APC is causing in the National Assembly and its effect on the administration. When the lawmakers resume, we expect Buhari to send the name of anyone he wants as the substantive chairman. He has the right to extend her tenure.

Buhari is a man of his words — Mohammed

In his response, second republic lawmaker, Dr Junaid Mohammed said it is very unfortunate that the Nigerian Constitution does not envisage the situation the country has found itself.

He said, “President Buhari has only appointed her in the acting capacity and not as a substantive chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC. So there is no cause for alarm”.

He went further, “I can say with all seriousness that President Buhari is a man of his words, he walks the talk and will not disappoint Nigerians in picking a substantive Chairman for the Commission at the appropriate time” He however accused the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) of trying to overheat the polity over the issue. He said, “I think the PDP is not ready for the role of opposition and that is why they try to criticize every actions President Buhari has taken”