Women group defends Zakari

A CIVIL society organisation, Proactive Gender Initiatives (PGI), has described the allegations against Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC’s) National Commissioner, Hajia Amina Zakari, as gender-related violence against women.

PGI’s National Coordinator Mrs. Esther Uzoma made the remark yesterday in a telephone chat with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

Some opposition parties and groups had kicked against Mrs. Zakari as chairperson of its National Collation Centre for the forthcoming elections, arguing that the national commissioner was President Muhammadu Buhari’s niece.

Mrs. Zakari dismissed the argument as unfounded at the weekend in an interview with the BBC Igbo. Reacting, Mrs. Uzoma, who is also the alternate chairperson, Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, said nobody believed that a woman could rise to such position by her own merit.

She said since the national commissioner had not been found wanting in her responsibility in INEC before, there was basis for such allegations.

He said: “I also strongly believe that all these people raising allegations against her are doing so because she is a woman.

“It is one of the gender-biased violence. Nobody believes that a woman can rise on her own, by her own merit to that position.

“Has she been accused of any crime at all, all the years she has spent in INEC? Is she under any form of administrative investigation?

“So, I feel strongly that institution of INEC is bigger than any single individual,” she said.

Mrs. Uzoma, who had served as local and international election observer, said the allegations against Mrs. Zakari had just gone to show that many Nigerians were yet to understand how INEC works.

She said: “The assumption that one single person can truncate or rig this election, the assumption that she is so powerful to rig 2019 election in favour of one candidate underlines our gross ignorance of the workings of INEC.

“No, it cannot happen; she doesn’t have that power. The way INEC is structured, no single person can do that.

“The way the system runs, no individual can do that. It cannot happen because I have had the opportunity to interface with that institution strongly. That is my take.” she said.

Also yesterday, former Ekiti State governor Ayodele Fayose, described Mrs. Zakari as moral burden on the Presidency and INEC.

Fayose described the outcry over Mrs Zakari’s appointment as a moral burden on the President, his APC party and the electoral commission.

He said the justification of the appointment by the Presidency and INEC showed desperation to rig the February 16 presidential election.

Reacting to the controversies that have trailed the appointment in a statement yesterday by his media aide, Lere Olayinka, the former governor said: “A president, who took oath of office that he would be equitable and fair to all, must be seen to be acting in accordance with this oath and the moment issues like this are raised, it is not for INEC and the Presidency to be rigid and act as if they don’t care.”

He described the Presidency’s defence that Amina Zakari was appointed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government as puerile and unacceptable.

The former governor that Mrs. Zakari was appointed at a time the President was not running for President on the platform of any party.

“Now that he is candidate and also a sitting  President, fairness and equity demand she should step aside from playing any role in this election,” Fayose said in the statement, adding: “Certain things can be good, but might not be morally right.