The Presidency has faulted the claim by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that a Commissioner of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Amina Zakari is a blood relation of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu said President Buhari and Commissioner Amina Zakari don’t have 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 simple lie.
“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,” he said in a statement last night.
The Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organization (PPCO) has asked the National Assembly to prevail on President Buhari to order the removal of Mrs Zakari from INEC.
Addressing a press conference yesterday in Abuja, the Director, Media and Publicity of the PPCO, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the National Assembly and Buhari should save the nation from what he termed the looming political crisis in the country.
However, a senior INEC official explained that Mrs Zakari’s committee will be responsible for water, electricity, briefing rooms, ushers and internet facilities among others.
The senior officer who pleaded not to be named as he was not authorized to speak on the matter to the media said her role is basically to oversee issues around the administration of the venue.
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