The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed death rumors surrounding its chairman, Mahmood Yakubu.
In a statement released this afternoon, December 14, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi on Saturday said Yakubu is alive.
The clarification was necessitated following reports that the INEC Chair had died in London.
“Our attention has been drawn to a fake news narrative circulated by a section of the social media claiming the purported death of the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu at a London hospital. The story first appeared on Monday, 9th December 2024.
We hereby appeal to the public to disregard the rumour. Prof. Yakubu is alive, hale and hearty. In fact, he has not travelled to London in the last two years.
He was present at an interactive meeting with the House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters on Wednesday, 11th December 2024.
He also chaired the Commission’s meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners on Thursday, 12th December 2024. Both events were widely covered on television and reported on the front pages of most newspapers yesterday, Friday 13th December 2024.
The public may recall that mischief-makers on the social media carried a similar fake story in 2021. Three years later, they are spreading the same rumour again.
Those who indulge in this practice, as well as those who spread it, should be mindful of its effect not only on the individual but also the wider society,” the statement said.
The statement added that the Commission would continue to work with genuine media professionals to combat the scourge of fake news and the danger it poses to society.