Controversial national commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Amina Zakari, has finally reacted to allegations levelled against her by the Peoples Democratic Party.
The PDP, the Inter-Party Advisory Council and several political parties had called on INEC to rescind the appointment of Zakari as the chairperson of the Committee on National Collation Centre.
Zakari is believed to be a blood relative of President Muhammadu Buhari, the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress.
In an interview with the BBC, however, Zakari, who is a former acting chairman of INEC, said she had served as a special adviser to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo.
She further stated that she was appointed by former President Goodluck Jonathan as an INEC commissioner and she had done the job diligently for the last eight years.
“I’m not his niece, I am not his cousin and on this job, I was appointed since 2010 by President Jonathan and prior to that, I was appointed as SA to President Obasanjo and I have done my work conscientiously over the years as a patriotic citizen of Nigeria,” Ms. Zakari is quoted as saying.
“I don’t think I should be distracted now that elections are coming, I will continue doing my work, I will continue to serve my country to the best of my ability, with the best of intentions. President Muhammadu Buhari is my President as everybody else’s President.
“He is not my cousin, he is not my uncle as is being claimed but I know him as my leader and the leader of the nation.”
