After her appointment as the head of Independent National Electoral Commission’s presidential election results collation committee, for allegedly being a blood relative of President Muhammadu Buhari, Amina Zakari has said she has no familial relationship with the president.
“I’m not his niece, I’m not his cousin,” Zakari told BBC Igbo.
“I’ve been appointed since 2010 by President Jonathan and prior to that, I was appointed an SA to President Obasanjo and I have done my work conscientiously over the years as a patriotic citizen of Nigeria.”
“President Muhammadu Buhari is my president as he is everybody else’s president,” she added.
The People’s Democratic Party, the Inter-Party Advisory Council and several political parties had variously called on INEC to rescind her appointment.
PDP further claimed that Zakari has “blood relationship” with Buhari and her appointment was an attempt to rig the poll in Buhari’s favour.
Buhari has since denied having any familial relationship with Zakari.
“President Buhari and Commissioner Amina Zakari don’t share a family relationship,” said Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to Muhammadu Buhari on Friday.