President Muhammadu Buhari Set to Confirm Zakari as INEC Chairman

 

President Muhammadu Buhari is set to ignore the pressure from the leadership of the People's Democratic Party to confirm  Mrs. Amina Zakari as the Chairperson of the Independent National Electoral Commission, reports The PUNCH.

 

This is contrary to recent reports that Buhari intends to appoint someone outside the commission.

 

A reliable source close to the INEC revealed to Punch correspondent under the condition of anonymity that the president intends to confirm Zakari early enough to enable her to oversee preparations for the governorship elections holding in Kogi and Bayelsa states later this year.

The source added that once the appointment of a substantive chairman was sorted out, the government would thereafter go ahead to fill the vacant positions of national commissioners.

“It is almost certain that the President will soon confirm Mrs. Zakari’s appointment. She may be named the substantive chairman of INEC soon. The President does not seem to be interested in shopping for a chairman from outside the commission,” the source said.

Buhari had on June 30 appointed Zakari as the acting chairman of the electoral body following Jega’s retirement.

 

Until her appointment, Zakari was a National Commissioner at the electoral commission.