By Bukola Kayode
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has debunked a viral social media reports that its Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has been removed by President Bola Tinubu.
The Presidency has also debunked the rumor.
A viral WhatsApp message had indicated that Mahmood was sacked and replaced with one Prof. Olamilekan.
“INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmud Yakubu has been replaced with Prof. Bashiru Olamilekan by President Tinubu,” the message, which had no attribution, read.
The Chief Press Secretary CPS to the INEC Chairman, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, in response to the rumours said: “Please, disregard. It is not true.”
Yakubu, who is rounding off his second tenure in office, is expected to exit the system towards the end of the year.
The process of appointing an INEC chairman is the President nominating a candidate and forwarding his particulars to the Department of State Services, DSS, for profiling.
After such screening, the President thereafter takes the name to the National Council of State for its advisory review. Based on the outcome, the President sends the name to the Senate for screening and confirmation.
On the part of the presidency, the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Digital and New Media, O’tega Ogra, described the news as false.
“The Nigerian public should disregard any fake news making the rounds about the replacement of the INEC Chairman.
“Any such announcement will come from the SGF’s office or any other appropriate official source,” Ogra wrote.
Be the first to comment