By Ogochukwu Isioma
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Saturday distanced itself from a statement trending in social media purporting that it was investigating a U.S. court judgement indicting APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, for alleged drug trafficking.
When contacted over the development, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, chief press secretary (CPS) to the INEC chairman, told metrowatchxtra.com that the statement was false.
He said: “We are issuing a statement to deny the press statement”, he added.
In the ensuing statement, INEC said: “We wish to state categorically that the said Press Release did not emanate from the Commission nor is it pursuing the purported course of action. It is the handiwork of mischief makers and utterly fake.”
Full text of the statement
INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION
PRESS RELEASE
PURPORTED INVESTIGATION OF CRIMINAL FORFEITURE AGAINST A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE
A Press Release purported to have been issued by the Commission has been trending online since yesterday Friday 11th November 2022. It claims that the Commission has commenced investigation into a case of criminal forfeiture against one of the Presidential candidates in the forthcoming General Election and is liaising with a Court in the United States of America in pursuit of same to determine possible violation of our guidelines or the Electoral Act 2022.
We wish to state categorically that the said Press Release did not emanate from the Commission nor is it pursuing the purported course of action. It is the handiwork of mischief makers and utterly fake.
Press Releases from the Commission are uploaded to the INEC Press Corps platform and simultaneously disseminated through our website and official social media handles.
The public is advised to ignore the Press Release.
Festus Okoye Esq
National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee
Saturday 12th November 2022.
THE INEC’S REAL STATEMENT
•BELOW IS THE FAKE STATEMENT
