Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu has clarified that he as the chief electoral commissioner in the country will discharge his constitutional duty of announcing the presidential results and would not cede the function to someone else.
Prof Yakubu who made this clarification while fielding questions from newsmen explained that Hajiya Amina Zakari’s appointment as the chairman of the National Collation Centre Committee did not affect his role as chief electoral officer of the commission.
He reiterated that the duty of Zakari would be to take charge of the venue in terms of providing internet facilities, accreditation of international observers and the media as well as other logistics at the international conference centre, now designated as the national collation centre.
“Under the Constitution of the of Nigeria, I am the chief electoral commissioner of the 2019 presidential election. I am not going to share that responsibility with any one in the commission.
“I am absolutely responsible for the coordination of the secretariat for the collation of results. But somebody has to prepare the venue for the conduct of the election, the internet service that we have to provide, accreditation of international observers and the media.”
He also cleared doubts as to the relationship between the Hajiya Zakari and President Mohammadu Buhari explaining that the President was by no way related to Zakari who he said came from Jigawa state while the president hails from Katsina state.
It is a widely held belief among Nigerians that the Zakari is a sister to President Buhari
The appointment of Zakari as the chairman of National Collation Center for the 2019 presidential by the INEC chairman on Thursday had sparked off fresh controversies especially from the opposition who argued that it was part of the plot to facilitate the return of Buhari as president in the February 16 Presidential election.
