NIGERIA: Presidency Debunks Rumoured Sack Of INEC Chairman Mahmood

By Onoja Baba, Nigeria

The Presidency on Monday, firmly denied reports circulating on social media, that President Bola Tinubu has sacked the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu.

The viral claims, which surfaced in the early hours of the day, alleged that Yakubu had been removed in a purported shake-up of the commission’s leadership, with one Professor Bashiru Olamilekan named as his replacement.

Reacting swiftly, the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Digital and New Media, O’tega Ogra, dismissed the report as entirely false and without official basis.

“Disregard any fake news making the rounds about the replacement of the INEC Chairman,” Ogra posted on X (formerly Twitter).

He stressed that any credible announcement of such magnitude would only come through formal government communication channels.

“Any such announcement will come from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation or any other official source,” he added.

The false report sparked intense speculation and confusion across digital platforms, prompting calls for caution in the dissemination of unverified news.

As of the time of filing this report, there has been no official statement from the Presidency or any federal institution to support the claims of Yakubu’s removal.

Professor Mahmood Yakubu remains the INEC Chairman, and the Presidency has reiterated that no such decision to remove him has been made.