Amina Zakari |
The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties, CNPP, has thrown its
weight behind the call by the Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, on the
Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to immediately rescind
the appointment of Hajiya Amina Zakari as the chairperson of the
Committee on National Collation Centre.
The umbrella body of all registered political parties and
associations in Nigeria in a statement issued to DAILY POST by its
Secretary General, Chief Willy Ezugwu urged “the electoral umpire to
listen to its own advisory organ like IPAC.
“We are taken aback that an electoral body like INEC, which is
supposed to be independent, has carried on as an arm of the ruling All
Progressives Congress (APC) while the ruling party has continued to
defend the action as though it was consulted before the appointment was
made.
“What is at stake at the moment is not about which administration
appointed her into INEC, neither is her competence the issues. What is
paramount now is the integrity of the electoral outcomes as the
transparency and fairness of the process is the basis of the growing
rejection of her appointment by the stakeholders.
“The CNPP, like all other interested parties in the forthcoming
general elections, has no confidence in the promises by the Independent
National Electoral Commission that it is ready conduct free and fair
elections if the legitimate concerns of political parties are not
addressed .
“The best proof that INEC has no ulterior motive in the appointment
of Hajiya Amina Zakari, is to listen to the stakeholders and immediately
do the needful. More so, when INEC has had a history of extremely
controversial electoral outcomes in recent past as seen in Ekiti and
Osun states”, the CNPP said.
Speaking on the siege on the media by the Nigerian Army, the CNPP
warned that “democracy will be the ultimate loser and tyranny triumph
when freedom of expression is clamped down upon.
“In a democracy, there are legitimate channels through which whatever
issues can be resolved other than the gestapo attacks on agents of free
speech like media houses”, the CNPP added.
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