A former ardent supporter of President Muhammadu Buhari and Associate Professor at the Kennesaw State University, Georgia, United States, Farooq Kperogi, has tackled the Presidency over its claim that the President and Mrs Amina Zakari do not share a family relationship.
Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had come under severe criticism for appointing Mrs Zakari, who is alleged to be President Buhari’s niece, as head of its 2019 presidential election collation committee.
The Presidency had in reaction to the criticisms denied that the President shares any family relationship with Zakari who is also the INEC National Commissioner for Health and Welfare.
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“President Buhari and Commissioner Amina Zakari do not share a family relationship. An inter-marriage occurred in their extended families, so the imputation of blood relationship between the President and the electoral commissioner is a lie,” said the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, in a statement on Friday.
But reacting to Shehu’s statement, Kperogi said in a series of tweets:
“Just tell d truth: Amina’s dad was married to Buhari’s biological sister. After Buhari’s sister died, Amina’s dad married ANOTHER Daura woman who gave birth to Amina. Daura is a small town; in small towns, everyone is related. It’s plausible that Amina and PMB are distant cousins.
“Recall thst Amina worked with Buhari at the PTF. The death of Buhari’s sister, apparently, didn’t sever his relationship with Amina’s father–and his children, of which Amina is one. Clear case of conflict of interest here.”
Haba! all this noise is uncalled for. even if she has a relationship with the Buharis, the question to ask is, as a senior staff of the commission is she not fit for the position? after all she is in INEC even before the Buhari administration. We like to make noise where there are no issues.
Yes sir. I put up the same argument but I was reminded that opposition is not against her being an INEC staff but for being appointed the head of collation committee because even though a person is qualified doesn’t dispute the fact that it is conflict of interest, just as even though a family member can be a qualified surgeon they are not allowed to perform surgery on their relatives. It’s just a simple case of conflict of interest and something should be done about it especially since “integrity” is the selling point of this administration.