President Muhammadu Buhari has denied sharing family affinity with embattled Amina Zakari, a commissioner representing Jigawa State at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC ).
A statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity , Garba Shehu , yesterday said: “ President Buhari and Commissioner Amina Zakari don ’t 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 simple lie . ”
Shehu said Zakari was appointed electoral commissioner in INEC by the former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP ) administration on merit , accusing the opposition of “ harassing an innocent citizen on the basis of a lie .”
The statement added : “ In another mendacious press release, the PDP has continued their baseless accusations regarding Zakari, accusing her of partiality and casting doubts about her integrity as an electoral commissioner .
“ In their desperation , they forget that it was the PDP government that appointed her in the first place and they keep lying , as they have been caught doing on so many issues , by imputing a blood relationship between her and President Buhari .
“ President Buhari and Zakari don ’t 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 simple lie .
“ What is even more curious about all the fuss coming from the PDP is that they , as a ruling party, picked Mrs . Zakari , judging her own merit and made her an electoral commissioner .
“ She served so well with distinction, as can be verified from the records, that President Buhari approved the recommendation that she be reappointed , as he did other PDP nominees for second – term of four years.
“ PDP , therefore, has no moral right to keep harassing this hardworking mother , unless they have a hidden agenda .
“ By this statement, the PDP is guilty of scoring an own goal , and two, of harassing an innocent citizen on the basis of a lie , pure and simple .”
