The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed rumors circulating on social media that its Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has been dismissed by President Bola Tinubu.
A viral WhatsApp message claimed that Yakubu was replaced by a Prof. Olamilekan.
The message, which lacked proper attribution, read: “INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu has been replaced with Prof. Bashiru Olamilekan by President Tinubu.”
In response to an inquiry from Vanguard, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the INEC Chairman, simply stated: “Please, disregard. It is not true.”
Prof. Yakubu, who is nearing the end of his second term, is expected to leave office towards the end of the year.
The process for appointing a new INEC chairman involves the President nominating a candidate and submitting their details to the Department of State Services (DSS) for profiling.
After this, the name is forwarded to the National Council of State for an advisory review, before being sent to the Senate for screening and confirmation.
