Afenifere spokesman and activist, Yinka Odumakin, has said that Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, not President Muhammadu Buhari, recommended Amina Zakari as a nominee for an appointment at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Mr Odumakin made this revelation as a guest on Channels TV programme, Sunrise Daily, on Tuesday.
He added that the then President, Goodluck Jonathan, as part of reforms at INEC, had called on civil society organisations to recommend someone who could take a position as a national commissioner at INEC.
Odumakin said el-Rufai told him of
He said he collected Zakari’s curriculum vitae from el-Rufai and handed it over to the late Oronto Douglas, who was the special adviser to President Jonathan on research, documentation, and strategy.
“I have read of accounts where it was stated that President Buhari nominated her. It was not the President. It was the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, who nominated her.
“So, they were headhunting for credible people and that is why you have people like Prof. Jega, Lai Olurode, and the rest of them coming as independent people nominated,” he said.
Odumakin said the very fact that Zakari was nominated by el-Rufai had created a conflict of interest and it was only proper for her to step down.
The Afenifere spokesman said contrary to claims by the Presidency, Zakari was also a niece to Buhari.
He said Zakari’s father was married to Buhari’s sister thereby making her father Buhari’s brother-in-law.
