Buhari appoints Zakari acting INEC chairman

President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Amina Bala Zakari as acting chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

This was disclosed in a statement signed on Tuesday by Haruna Imrana, director of communications in the office of the head of civil service of the federation.

Imrana said the appointment takes effect from June 30 until a substantive chairman is appointed.

Zakari, who is an indigene of Jigawa state, is currently a national electoral commissioner at INEC and her tenure would be end in July.

A pharmacist by profession, she obtained her first degree from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

Her career spans both the private and public sectors. Between 1983 and 1996, she worked in various hospitals.

She joined the services of the federal capital territory administration in 2004 and served as secretary of health and human services; secretary of social development and acting secretary agriculture and rural development until 2007 when she left.

Some of her qualifications are: certificate in managing drugs supply for primary healthcare from MHS Amsterdam (1997); certificate in project management (1998); certificate in senior management from Crown Agents London (2005); certificate in executive education in business management from Harvard Business School.

Upon his exit from the commission, Attahiru Jega handed over to Mohammed Wali, also a national commissioner.

Jega said he had written to the president to notify him of his intention to have Wali, whose tenure ends on August 11, succeed him.

“I have written to the president to inform him that my tenure was suppose to end yesterday and that I have decided to hand over to one of the national commissioners who is still around until an acting or substantive appointment is made. So I proposed to hand over to Mohammed Wali, who has a relatively longer span,” he had said.