The Presidency has dismissed viral claims that President Bola Tinubu has removed the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu.
Earlier on Monday, several reports circulated on social media, alleging that Yakubu had been sacked and replaced by a certain Professor Bashiru Olamilekan in what was described as a leadership overhaul.
However, President Tinubu’s Senior Special Adviser on Digital and New Media, O’tega Ogra, debunked the news. In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), he described the information as fake and urged Nigerians to disregard it.
“Disregard any fake news making the rounds about the replacement of the INEC Chairman,” Ogra stated.
He further clarified that any official announcement regarding such a sensitive matter would come from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) or another authorised channel.
As of now, there has been no official confirmation from the Presidency or any government agency regarding a change in the INEC leadership.
The rumour has since been flagged as misinformation, but it briefly stirred confusion across various platforms online.