posted by Som Offor.
The Yoruba group, Afenifere and Governor
Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo state, have called on President Muhammadu Buhari
to remove Mrs Amina Bala Zakari, the acting chairman of the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Mimiko said the acting chairman of INEC had a close relationship with President Muhammadu Buhari and it was not going to be healthy for Nigeria’s democracy. Afenifere based its rejection on the fact that Zakari hailed from the same region and town as the president.
Mimiko in a meeting of leaders across southern Nigeria people’s assembly said it had not happened in the history of Nigeria’s democracy for an INEC chairman to come from the same place as the president.
“The greatest thing we can do to help our democracy is to install a free and unbiased electoral umpire in the country.
“We must not only be seen as clean, but we must be clearly seen to be clean in the area of electoral umpire.
“The independence of INEC chairman should not be placed on doubt,” he said.
Yinka Odumakin, the spokesperson of Afenifere group urged the president to appoint a new chairman to ensure electoral credibility. The group also issued a communique in which it said that their “meeting observed that the controversy generated over the INEC chairman is unnecessary.’
“We urged the president to set the necessary machinery in motion toward appointing acceptable INEC chairman.
“Mr President should remember that Kogi, Edo Bayelsa, Ekiti and Ondo governorship elections are around the corner, as there is no enough time for anybody supervising the election to prepare.”
They called on the president to appoint a neutral umpire to make future elections in the country credible.
The group commended the president on his war against corruption, but advised him not to be selective in his approach.
“Afenifere is an accountable organisation that believes that public officials must give account of their deeds.
“We believe that there are corrupt people in all the leading political parties in Nigeria and, therefore, a credible anti-corruption war should be across board and not picking and choosing those who should be prosecuted or dealt with.”
Meanwhile, despite the strong opposition against the appointment of Zakari as the acting chairman of INEC, President Buhari is ready to confirm her as the head.
Mimiko said the acting chairman of INEC had a close relationship with President Muhammadu Buhari and it was not going to be healthy for Nigeria’s democracy. Afenifere based its rejection on the fact that Zakari hailed from the same region and town as the president.
Mimiko in a meeting of leaders across southern Nigeria people’s assembly said it had not happened in the history of Nigeria’s democracy for an INEC chairman to come from the same place as the president.
“The greatest thing we can do to help our democracy is to install a free and unbiased electoral umpire in the country.
“We must not only be seen as clean, but we must be clearly seen to be clean in the area of electoral umpire.
“The independence of INEC chairman should not be placed on doubt,” he said.
Yinka Odumakin, the spokesperson of Afenifere group urged the president to appoint a new chairman to ensure electoral credibility. The group also issued a communique in which it said that their “meeting observed that the controversy generated over the INEC chairman is unnecessary.’
“We urged the president to set the necessary machinery in motion toward appointing acceptable INEC chairman.
“Mr President should remember that Kogi, Edo Bayelsa, Ekiti and Ondo governorship elections are around the corner, as there is no enough time for anybody supervising the election to prepare.”
They called on the president to appoint a neutral umpire to make future elections in the country credible.
The group commended the president on his war against corruption, but advised him not to be selective in his approach.
“Afenifere is an accountable organisation that believes that public officials must give account of their deeds.
“We believe that there are corrupt people in all the leading political parties in Nigeria and, therefore, a credible anti-corruption war should be across board and not picking and choosing those who should be prosecuted or dealt with.”
Meanwhile, despite the strong opposition against the appointment of Zakari as the acting chairman of INEC, President Buhari is ready to confirm her as the head.
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