The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has refuted rumours circulating on social media about the alleged death of its Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu.
Rotimi Oyekanmi, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC chairman, in a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja, dismissed the reports, describing it as”fake news.”
According to Oyekanmi, the commission’s attention was drawn to a fabricated story being circulated on social media, claiming that Professor Yakubu had passed away in a London hospital. He noted that the false narrative first surfaced on Monday, 9th December.
“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,” Oyekanmi stated.
He further disclosed that Professor Yakubu had attended an interactive session with the House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters on Wednesday, December 11, 2024, and chaired a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners the following day.
The events, he said, were widely televised and featured prominently in newspapers on Friday, December 13, 2024.
Oyekanmi reminded the public of a similar fake news report in 2021, noting that the same rumour was being recycled three years later.
“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,” he cautioned.
He assured that INEC remains committed to working with credible media professionals to combat the spread of fake news and its potential dangers to society.
