THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has debunked social media reports that its Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has been sacked by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
A viral WhatsApp message had indicated that Mahmood was sacked and replaced by a certain Prof. Olamilekan in what is described as a “sweeping change” in the electoral body’s leadership.
“INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmud Yakubu has been replaced with Prof. Bashiru Olamilekan by President Tinubu,” the message, which had no attribution, read.
In response to an inquiry, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the INEC Chairman, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, simply 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.
Presidency Denies Sacking INEC Boss, Yakubu
Similarly, the Presidency has equally debunked the widespread reports
Reacting to the claims, the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Digital and New Media, O’tega Ogra, described the news as false and urged the public to disregard it.
He emphasised that any such decision or announcement would emanate from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation or another official communication channel.
The viral report, which caused a stir across various social media platforms, has since been dismissed as misinformation, with no official corroboration from the Presidency or any Federal agency.
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.
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