The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is under pressure from some strong political players in the presidency to return the National Commissioner on Health and Welfare, Mrs Amina Zakari, to her former operations beat from where she was posted last week by the National Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, according to findings by THISDAY.
The presidency also said yesterday that it was seeking the understanding of the National Assembly over the funding of INEC’s budget for the general elections billed for the first quarter of 2019, saying it would not confront the federal legislature over its virement of funds from the Special Intervention Programme (SIP) estimates instead of the National Assembly’s projects votes as requested by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Sources said at the weekend that INEC had come under intense pressure to return Zakari, a relation of Buhari to operations, which is the engine room of election management of the commission.
Zakari and four other national commissioners had reshuffled by Yakubu last week after leaders of the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Senate President Bukola Saraki, marched on INEC and Police Headquarters, protesting the handling of the governorship election in Osun State last month.
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, had defeated the PDP’s Senator Ademola Adeleke after a controversial run-off that international and local observers carpeted for what they called undue interference by security forces.
Zakari, who had been variously accused of skewing election processes in favour of the ruling APC, obviously on account of her relationship with Buhari, was particularly accused by the PDP of turning the tables against it in Osun State.
The INEC National Commissioner in charge of Osun, Oyo and Ogun States, Mr. Adedeji Soyebi, also got caught up in the web of the protest and was posted to the commission’s electoral institute.
But reliable sources informed the newspaper that presidency had been uncomfortable with the postings, coming few months to the general elections and want them reversed.
INEC sources told the newspaper, however, that it’s National Chairman, Yakubu, is resisting the pressure but wondered how long he would hold his ground.
The commission’s reaction was not available last night as calls to the phone of the chairman’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, did not go through.
