Nigeria In One Minute
INEC under Pressure to Return Zakari to Operations
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, THISDAY learnt at the weekend.
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.
THISDAY 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.
THISDAY, October 15, 2018
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