MUST READ!! Amina Zakari's Appointment And The Apprehension Of The Nigerian Masses
The appointment by the Nigeria’s election coordination body, INEC, of Amina Zakari, as the commissioner in charge of the National Results Collation Centre in the country’s most momentous presidential election has since evolved into a major cause of worry for many Nigerians.
And we can quickly dispose of a few points on the matter.
The appointment seems to cast Nigerians’ minds once again, onto the politics of prebendalism which is inherent in the country’s political fiber, and questions of credibility and integrity. Not to forget that of respect for the will of Nigerian masses.
As many Nigerians put it, the choice of Zakari, an in-law to the incumbent President Muhammad Buhari who happens to be furthering a 4+4 ambition through re-election in the same February presidential election, to oversee the administration of the venue where election results will be collated and announced is a completely ill-conceived decision which exposes a lot about the caliber of people currently leading Nigeria.
Firstly, by this choice, INEC has unknowingly created a credibility and integrity problem for itself. The Commission, as an election body must remain conscious of the veneer it projects as the single most important entity in the country’s electoral landscape and in particular, the 2019 general elections.
Mahmood Yakubu, the INEC boss must not give the impression that he is divorced from the weight of the forthcoming election and the typical paranoia that dominates Nigeria’s election discourse.
Clearly, that is the discernment and picture on Nigerian’s mind. That he is far removed from the realities of a socio-cultural context where filial, ethnic and religious relationships are believed to be sufficient grounds for ethical compromise.
Suffice it to say then, that Zakari’s choice echoes gross insensitivity and complacency on the part of Mahmood Yakubu as he is expected to know better about the extant controversy on Zakari’s journey in the Commission.
Since 2015 when she was appointed by President Buhari as Acting Head of INEC after Attahiru Jega’s exit through to the Ekiti and Osun Gubernatorial elections periods, Zakari’s competence and integrity have been tested on the basis of her closeness to the President.
For instance, the opposition party lamented bitterly and kicked that those two elections were rigged. They expressed serious distrust at the President’s niece being the head of electoral operations and logistics. This accounted for her reassignment to head the Health and Welfare section back then.
Mahmood Yakubu, by the virtue of his platform, should know that the slightest semblance of Zakari’s family ties to President Buhari has robbed her of all neutrality and will continue to smokescreen and undermine her integrity and competence in the eyes of the Nigerian masses.
Without questioning her integrity and competence, Nigeria is not short of competent individuals who have proven themselves and have served with distinction and very well epitomise integrity. These people should be exhumed from wherever they are within the Commission and considered for the same role. The circus around Amina Zakari and INEC is needless and counterproductive in the eve of a critical election.
Secondly, there is a big question on President Buhari’s promise of a free and fair election. The presidency, in the course of explaining away that Amina Zakari is in fact not related to the President by blood and was swift to dismiss Nigerian’s concerns as a non-issue did admit to the existence of an inter-marriage relations between her and President Buhari.
In fact, President Buhari, whose sister married Amina Zakari’s father was said to have lived with his in-laws, that is, Amina’s father: Hussaini Adamu, Late Emir of Kazaure, Jigawa State while growing up.
Many Nigerians believe that Mr. Buhari’s relationship with the Kazaures has caused him to consider them for juicy political offices.
A clear depiction of this is that Amina Zakari’s elder brother is a current Minister of Water Resources in Buhari’s administration. Similarly, the current Director General of NYSC, Major General Sule Zakari Kazaure is another example of the President’s nepotism not to mention another Kazaure who is a commissioner in Jigawa State.
All indications point to the fact there is a deep relationship between the President and Amina Zakari. And that such relationship could be used to President Buhari’s advantage by Amina Zakari.
This therefore justifies Nigerians’ suspicions. Yet this administration as treated this high energy “coincidence” with its usual lackadaisicality.
The matter here is not calling on President Buhari to reach out to INEC to rescind the role it has saddled Amina Zakari with, as the election commission must be allowed a freehand to operate as an independent body that it is.
But, it must be made clear to the presidency that if Amina Zakari is allowed to act in that capacity, the chances of the Buhari administration will be further blighted.
So, the INEC boss must of his own doing, reconsider on this matter for the good of the commission and Nigerians at large.
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