Presidency Reacts To PDP Critics

Femi Adesina, the special adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari, discharged allegations that Buhari overruled Professor Attahiru Jega in appointing Amina Zakari.

In a statement released immediately after the critics of the OPPOSITION Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) the presidency said that accusations lack any factual foundation.

Adesina said: “We have noted with regret, the latest tirade against President Muhammadu Buhari issued today by the PDP’s Spokesman, Mr Olisa Metuh.

“Other than boring reporters at his press conference with a rehash of baseless allegations of inaction against the President, Mr Metuh clearly had nothing new to say APART from his charge of nepotism and partisanship in the appointment of the Acting INEC Chairman, which also lacks any factual foundation.”

The presidency furthur noted that “President Buhari certainly did not “overrule” Prof. Attahiru Jega in appointing Mrs Amina Zakari as the Acting INEC Chairman, as Mr Metuh alleged.”

According to Adesina Prof. Jega’s purported handing over to another commissioner cannot be construed as an “appointment” because “only the President has the constitutional AUTHORITY, which he exercised to appoint Mrs Zakari as  acting Chairman of INEC.”

“Contrary to Mr Metuh’s allegations, President Buhari’s appointment of Mrs Zakari as Acting INEC Chariman was based entirely on merit, her vast experience in the internal operations of INEC and the President’s commitment to affirmative ACTION in support of gender equality, because, apart from being fully qualified for the position, Mrs Zakari was the only woman among the six Commissioners considered,” he added.

“Due Process was certainly followed in Mrs Zakari’s appointment. Mr Metuh’s spurious claims of her appointment having been INFLUENCED by personal relationship with the Presidency” and a  Governor in the North-West “to pave the way for the APC” at election tribunals should be disregarded by the public.

“The allegations are nothing  but falsehoods contrived by Mr Metuh  to unjustly denigrate a President popularly elected by Nigerians to undo the damage done to the nation by years of PDP rule.

“His claim that the PDP has REJECTED Mrs Zakari’s appointment is also laughable after he had admitted that the right  and power of the President to make such appointments cannot be questioned,” the statement concluded.

The PDP had criticized the 32 days tenure of President Buhari and asked him to remove newly elected chairman of National Electoral COMMISSION Amina Zakari, noting that she is too close to the president.

President Buhari appointed Zakari as the Acting Chairman of the INEC after the end of the term of Prof. Jega.