Coalition of Progressive Political Parties (COP3), the umbrella organisation for 13 registered political parties has condemned what it calls ‘the dangerous, irresponsible and inciting statement issued by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the appointment of the acting chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC)’.
The appointment of Mrs. Amina Zakari as acting chairman of the Commission has drawn opprobrium from Chief Olisa Metuh, the National Publicity Secretary of PDP.
In a statement yesterday, chairman of the coalition and National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), Mallam Bashir Yusuf Ibrahim, COP3 decried what it described as ‘the dangerous precedent whereby a political party is trying to decide who became the INEC Chairman’. It said that function was constitutionally reserved for the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the National Assembly.
The statement reads: “Any interference by political parties in the appointment of INEC officials is tantamount to politicising the process and the Commission itself, which is capable of creating dangerous schism and generating unnecessary tension in the country.
“INEC is an independent body, which must be insulated from politics and irresponsible politicking. The power of and procedure for the appointment of its chairman is a constitutional matter and not a subject of political bargaining.
“Mrs. Zakari was not appointed to the Commission by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015. She was appointed as INEC National Commissioner by former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2010 and by the time she was appointed acting chairman, she had the distinction of being the most senior INEC National Commissioner in terms of time served. If she is good to be a National Commissioner and chairman of its Committees under President Jonathan, she is good to be the Commission’s acting chairman at any other time.”
“Opposition politics must be responsible politics. After suffering for 16 interrupted years under its institutional mismanagement, Nigerians deserve a respite from PDP’s meddlesomeness and brinkmanship. “PDP’s acidic and divisive politics was rejected in the election. We advise that they try some modesty and learn from their past mistakes instead of trying to give Nigerians more of the same”.