The commission stated this in a publication made available to newsmen by Mohammed Haruna, INEC National Commissioner and member of Information, Voter Education and Publicity Committee, on Friday in Abuja.

Haruna in the publication titled: “INEC In The Last Three Years” said that since INEC’s last governorship election in Osun on Sep. 22, the entire commission had come under attack from several quarters, including media organisations, as being deficient.

He said that since 2015, INEC had conducted about 195 odd elections, including seven off-season governorship elections, a dozen senatorial and two dozen federal constituency elections and scores of State Assembly and Federal Capital Territory Area Council (FCT) elections.

He added that out of these 195 odd elections only a handful had been successfully challenged in courts and in none of them did the courts order wholesale re-runs.



Haruna also cited media report where the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum issued a statement in which it passed a vote of no confidence in the commission.

He said that the governors also accused INEC of conducting itself as a tool of the APC-led Federal Government, especially with the roles of the Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, and a National Commissioner, Mrs Amina Zakari.”

Haruna said that the newspaper raised the public concern on the appointments of Yakubu as INEC chair and Zakari, which it stated violated a “tradition” of presidents appointing persons from regions other than theirs as chairmen of INEC.

Haruna explained that since independence in 1960 the Commission has had 12 chairmen, seven of them appointed by the military leaders between 1976 and 1999.

“All seven military-appointed chairmen were Southerners. All the military leaders, except General Olusegun Obasanjo as military leader between 1976 and 1979, were Northerners.’’

He said that it would then seem that the popular notion articulated by the newspaper of INEC’s chair coming from a region other than that of the serving president is correct. “In reality it is not.

“It is 23 years between 1976 and 1999 which, in certain contexts, is a long time. It is, however, debatable that a 23-year practice, being just about a generation, is long enough to be considered a tradition in the true sense of the word.

“But even if it is, it was military tradition and the appointment of Prof. Yakubu as INEC Chairman was not the first to break with that “tradition.

“What broke with it was the appointment in 2000 of Dr Abel Goubadia, a Southerner, as INEC’s Chairman by President Olusegun Obasanjo, a fellow Southerner, followed by that of Professor Maurice Iwu, another Southerner, by the same president in 2005.

“Indeed, as military head of state back in the late seventies, Obasanjo appointed a fellow Southerner, Chief Michael Ani, as the chair of the Commission which conducted the 1979 election that ushered in the Second Republic.’’

Haruna added that a president’s power to appoint members of the Commission was not absolute; it was subject to approval by the Senate.

He also explained that contrary to widespread belief, Zakari was not a blood relation of President Buhari. Her mother was from Daura, alright, but she was not Buhari’s sister.

“It is also true that Buhari’s sister was once married to Mrs Zakari’s father. But this was over 60 years ago before Mrs Zakari was born. Besides, the marriage was short-lived and did not produce a child.’’

Haruna said that nepotism and geographical origin in the composition of INEC’s membership, as in the composition of any other organ, should, of course, be of public concern.

“However, what should be of far greater concern is the character, diligence and competence of the members, not whose relations they are or where they come from.

He said that in spite of challenges facing INEC, the commission was ready to deliver more credible elections in 2019 than it did in 2015.

https://www.pulse.ng/news/politics/it-is-wrong-to-accuse-inec-of-partisanship-national-commissioner/z5ybevv

babyfaceafrica:
why is there too many fuzz about this zakari?..what will be will be!!

Stalwert:
lying liar changed the name of the article which even contradicts it's contents.

lalasticlala delete this pdp dubai based lies

shachris02:


Buhari appointed his sisters step daughter to head a commission as sensitive as INEC and you think that should be okay?

babyfaceafrica:
why is there too many fuzz about this zakari?..what will be will be!!

Stalwert:
lying liar changed the name of the article which even contradicts it's contents.

lalasticlala delete this pdp dubai based lies

Ziggylady:



The 'too many fuzz about Zakari' is because as the niece of buhari,she cannot carry out her duties in INEC without being biased in favour of her uncle. Buhari/APC

.Therefore such nepotism which doubles as conflict of interest is unacceptable and a recipe for disaster.

babyfaceafrica:
is it against the law?..will that guarantee he will win?..will zakari rig election in all 36 states of Nigeria?.. we are in a digital era..therefore one woman cannot make a difference abeg..if she is capable..let her do the job abeg..all these things are distractions abeg..let us prepare for Feb 16

shachris02:


stop sounding naive. Buhari is appointing his family member to be the referee in a contest he's part of and you are asking if it is against the law?

I doubt this would have been your stance had it been Jonathan appointed his family member in same position.

babyfaceafrica:
is it against the law?..if yes..take her to court!!!

Ziggylady:




..No it is not against the law,the Laws says that Nepotism and conflict of interest are allowed..

Expecting you SWners to think rationally and use your brains. is like expecting elephants to fly.

babyfaceafrica:
super story ....what is the difference between Jonathan and buhari?......jega conducted election. ..una complain, gej was president ,una complain,bubu was president una still complain...all of you are now shouting atiku,as if anything will change!!!...oga ni matter the umpire who will win will win and no matter the results ,Nigerians will still complain.. am tired of complaining abeg

shachris02:


I am hoping that one day, you will come back to read all these trash you are writing now....and realize how stupid you were at this stage in your life.

babyfaceafrica:
is it against the law?..if yes..take her to court!!!

IamJames:


Do you have anything else to say other than "take her to court"? You know the court has been made irrelevant in this administration and nothing will come out of it so it's very convenient for you to say that.

Ziggylady:




..No it is not against the law,the Laws says that Nepotism and conflict of interest are allowed..

Expecting you SWners to think rationally and use your brains. is like expecting elephants to fly.

Adebowale89:




you're always quick to called SW. are they the inec or the woman you're talking about


what's the content of rationale fact you're making? flocking around illusion like a lady that just finished doing abortion


guess you're yet to finish your period?

Ziggylady:




u must be referring to my mum.

Adebowale89:



you know I'm referring to my useless olosho mum,that is why i do not know my father.


My ashawo mum is a case study who takes too many dickkks like a dog.


She is always talking off-point like a mad woman,na by force to comment on politics thread?

Ziggylady:




stop faulting me, don't you know brainlessness is an hereditary in our family?.

Adebowale89:



I am a known bastardd and a crook,you should know that most of my people are like that...reason why we are mostly into skull-minning.?

shachris02:
Mrs Amina is Buhari's sister step daughter....in extension Buhari's niece.

Ziggylady:



Yes i know I'm original olosho.

shachris02:


“It is also true that Buhari’s sister was once married to Mrs Zakari’s father. But this was over 60 years ago before Mrs Zakari was born. Besides, the marriage was short-lived and did not produce a child.’’

Balyz:
You see why I say you and Kanu are right for each other? Mrs Zakari's father was once married to Buhari's sister over 60 years ago and you call that a relationship with Buhari? Shachris you need to join IPOB today

shachris02:


No is a relationship with your father.

uchu.

APC zombies just so dumb.

Adebowale89:



does anyone need to doubt that my mum is a slut,therefore i am a son of an olisho..? that was an obvious fact

Shuku0kukobambi:


I'm sure this relationship must be the singular reason why GEJ appointed her to INEC originally.

So as far as your education carried you, the portion you quoted above translates to Amina being Buhari's niece? Which kind of satanic education makes you guys confuse yourselves like this?