“Please, Disregard. It Is Not True” – INEC Dismisses Claims of Yakubu’s Sack

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed circulating reports on social media that its Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has been sacked by President Bola Tinubu.

The rumour, which spread widely via WhatsApp, falsely claimed that Prof. Yakubu had been replaced by Prof. Bashiru Olamilekan. The unverified message, which lacked any official source, stated: “INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmud Yakubu has been replaced with Prof. Bashiru Olamilekan by President Tinubu.”

Reacting to the report, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, told *Vanguard*, “Please, disregard. It is not true.”

Prof. Yakubu is currently in the final months of his second tenure as INEC Chairman, which is expected to end later this year. The process of appointing a new INEC Chairman involves the President nominating a candidate, who is then profiled by the Department of State Services (DSS). The nomination must subsequently be reviewed by the National Council of State and then submitted to the Senate for screening and confirmation.