The Presidency has flayed as rumor a trending social media report which stated that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had approved the removal or replacement of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
In a reaction to the speculation on Monday afternoon, President’s Senior Special Adviser to the President on Digital Media and New Media, O’tega Ogra, went to his X (formerly Twitter) handle to debunk the reports, labeling them as “fake news.”.
The clarification comes as there is growing online speculation and viral post that President Tinubu has made up his mind to oust the head of the electoral umpire and replace him with a replacement.
No formal declaration, however, has been made by the Presidency, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), or even INEC itself to confirm any such move.
Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who was reappointed in 2020 for a second term by former President Muhammadu Buhari, has been increasingly criticized for the management of the 2023 general elections. But there has been no indication from the Federal Government of any official bid to remove him from office.
