By Dirisu Yakubu
ABUJA- A group, the Accord Women and Youth Initiative has condemned the appointment of Amina Zakari, a National Commissioner with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as chairperson, National Collation Centre for the presidential election result.

The women and youth group while noting that are not against her appointment on the basis of her gender; it added however that her relationship with President Muhammadu Buhari in her addition to her marriage to an All Progressives Congress, APC Senatorial candidate from Bauchi state, makes her new appointment unjustifiable.

Executive Director of the group, Ms. Esther Opaluwah, recalled that INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmoud Yakubu has consistently maintained that he was committed to conducting a credible, free and fair election, saying the group expect nothing less than transparency and neutrality from INEC.

She said, “Mrs. Amina Zakari is not only a blood relative of the incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari but also married to the senatorial candidate for Bauchi South. Therefore by consanguinity and affinity, her hands are tied.”

While pledging the readiness of the group to support every genuine effort aimed at delivering credible elections, Opaluwah said, “INEC must not only be fair but must be seen to be fair to all including registered political parties and especially to Nigerians who are the stakeholders of the Nigerian project.”

She stressed that Zakari has repeatedly failed the impartiality test especially on her dispositions in the immediate past governorship elections in the South-West where she was in charge of electoral operations and logistics.

https://newlive.vanguardngr.com/2019/01/amina-zakari-buharis-admittance-of-relationship-vindicates-our-stand-pdp/

“We the Nigerian women and youths are not satisfied with her conduct as INEC commissioner and this is rubbing off negatively on the integrity of the electoral processes,” Opaluwah noted.

Consequently, the group demanded the immediate resignation of Amina Zakari from the commission.