The Nigerian Presidency has rejected claims that INEC
Commissioner, Amina Zakari, is a “blood Niece” of President Muhammadu
Buhari.

The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had alleged on Thursday, January 3, 2019, that Zakari, who was appointed Chairperson of INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) Advisory Committee and Presidential election Collation Center Committee, is “a blood relation (niece) of the APC candidate, Buhari”. 

The PDP also maintained that by appointing a
relative of Buhari into such a top position in the electoral commission,
the governing APC had all but concluded plans with the electoral
commission to rig the February 16, 2019 presidential vote.

It was an allegation that immediately heat up the polity and stirred intense partisan debate online.

However, in a statement signed by President Buhari’s spokesperson Garba Shehu, the presidency says “the
PDP has continued their baseless accusations regarding Hajiya Amina
Zakari, a commissioner in INEC, accusing her of partiality and casting
doubts about her integrity as an electoral commissioner.

“In their desperation, they forget that it
was the PDP government that appointed her in the first place and they
keep lying, as they have been caught doing on so many issues, by
imputing a blood relationship between her and President Muhammadu
Buhari”.

According to the presidency, there are no blood ties between Zakari and President Buhari.

“President Buhari and Commissioner Amina
Zakari do not share a family relationship. An inter-marriage occurred in
their extended families, so the imputation of blood relationship
between the president and the electoral commissioner is a lie”, the statement read.

The Buhari presidency also accused the PDP of harboring a hidden agenda.

Amina Zakari, INEC Commissioner, has been called a Niece of President Buhari (Guardian)

“What is even more curious about all the
fuss coming from the PDP is that they, as a ruling party picked Mrs
Zakari, judging her by her own merit and made her an electoral
commissioner.

“She served so well with distinction as
can be verified from the records, that President Buhari approved the
recommendation that she be reappointed, as he did other PDP nominees for
second-term of four years.

“PDP, therefore, has no moral right to keep harassing this hardworking mother unless they have a hidden agenda.

“By this statement, the PDP is guilty of
scoring an own goal and two, of harassing an innocent citizen on the
basis of a lie, pure and simple”.

President Buhari of the APC and Atiku Abubakar of the PDP are the front-line candidates ahead of the presidential contest. 

Over 70 other candidates, including Oby Ezekwesili of the ACPN, Kingsley Moghalu of the YPP, Fela Durotoye of the ANN and Omoyele Sowore of
the AAC are also making their presence strongly felt on the campaign
trail ahead of a critical vote for Africa’s most populous nation.