INEC breaks silence on rumoured sack of chairman, Yakubu

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has debunked claims circulating on social media that its Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has been sacked by President Bola Tinubu.

A viral message, particularly on WhatsApp, alleged that Prof. Yakubu had been removed from office and replaced with one Prof. Olamilekan. However, INEC has firmly dismissed the report as false and misleading.

The Commission urged the public to disregard the information, reaffirming that Prof. Mahmood Yakubu remains the substantive Chairman of INEC and continues to carry out his duties as prescribed by law.

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“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 a message from Vanguard, 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.

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.