The Presidency has denied widespread rumours circulating on social media that its Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has been sacked by President Bola Tinubu.
A viral WhatsApp message had claimed that Professor Yakubu had been removed and replaced with a certain Professor Bashiru Olamilekan. The message, which lacked any credible attribution, read, “INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmud Yakubu has been replaced with Prof. Bashiru Olamilekan by President Tinubu.”
But in a swift response, the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Digital and New Media, O’tega Ogra, said the story was false and should be ignored.
“Disregard any fake news making the rounds about the replacement of the INEC Chairman,” Ogra wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
He explained that if such a decision were to be made, it would come from a proper government office.
“Any such announcement will come from the SGF’s office or any other official source,” he added, referring to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
Professor Yakubu, who is currently serving his second tenure as INEC Chairman, is expected to complete his term towards the end of the year. His tenure has seen him supervise multiple elections across the country, including the highly anticipated 2023 general elections.
The process of appointing an INEC Chairman involves several stages: the President nominates a candidate and submits the nominee’s details to the Department of State Services for a comprehensive background check.
After the DSS profiling, the President forwards the nomination to the National Council of State for its advisory input. Upon receiving the Council’s feedback, the President then sends the nominee’s name to the Senate for final screening and confirmation.
