Breaking: Presidency Breaks Silence on Alleged Sack of INEC Chairman Yakubu
- The presidency has denied the report that President Bola Tinubu has sacked INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu
- Daniel Bwala, special adviser to the president on policy communication, denied the report in a tweet on Monday, April 7
- The social media claim came as the second term of Yakubu approached its ending, and the president was expected to nominate another candidate
The presidency has denied the report that President Bola Tinubu sacked Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Daniel Bwala, special adviser to the president on policy communication, denied the report in a tweet on Monday, April 7, adding that there was no iota of truth in the claim.
Source: Twitter
Tinubu communicates officially
According to Bwala, all Tinubu's actions would be communicated through the appropriate channels while urging the public to disregard the social media claim.
See Bwala's tweet here:
Social media messages claimed Tinubu sacked Yakubu
A viral message on WhatsApp has claimed that the INEC chairman was sacked and that the president had appointed Professor Bashiru Olamikan as his replacement. However, the WhatsApp message was not attributed to anyone.
The WhatsApp message reads:
“INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmud Yakubu has been replaced with Prof. Bashiru Olamilekan by President Tinubu.”.
When will Yakubu's tenure end?
Yakubu's second tenure as the chairman of the electoral commission is expected to come to an end towards the end of 2025.
To appoint another INEC chairman, President Tinubu will have to nominate a candidate whose particulars would be forwarded to the Department of State Services (DSS) for scrutiny.
Following the screening, the president will submit the name of the appointee to the National Council of State for its advisory and review. The next step is for the president to forward the name of the appointee to the Senate for screening and confirmation.
Source: Twitter
Which INEC chairman conducted the 2023 election?
Legit.ng recalled that Yakubu conducted the 2023 presidential election that produced President Tinubu. The election was a keen contest between Tinubu, who was the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party.
The outcome of the election was contested up to the Supreme Court by the opposition, including Atiku and Obi. The opposition has alleged that the election was not free and fair, and INEC, under the leadership of Yakubu, was accused of electoral malpractice in favour of the president.
However, the Supreme Court dismissed their allegations over a lack of evidence to back up their claims. Since the Supreme Court verdict, Atiku and Obi have remained fierce critics of Tinubu's administration but the presidency has not been quiet in responding to their criticism either.
Recall: Natasha thanked INEC, knocked Akpabio, Bello
Legit.ng earlier reported that Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan has thanked the INEC, as the electoral commission rejected her recall over a lack of constitutional compliance.
Natasha, who is currently under a six-month suspension over a lack of adherence to rules, warned Senate President Godswill Akpabio and ex-Governor Yahaya Bello.
The embattled lawmaker recently accused the Senate President, Akpabio, of sexual harassment and vowed that his and Bello's days in politics were numbered.
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Source: Legit.ng
