The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has refuted reports circulating on social media about the alleged death of its chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
The claims, which surfaced on Monday, December 9, 2024, stated that Yakubu died in a London hospital.
However, in a statement issued on Saturday, Rotimi Oyekanmi, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, urged the public to reject the reports, affirming that Yakubu is alive, well, and in good health.
“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,” Oyekanmi noted.
The commission also clarified that the INEC chairman has not travelled to London in the past two years.
“In fact, Yakubu 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 statement stressed.
INEC also recalled a similar fake news item that appeared in 2021, with the same erroneous allegations repeated three years later.
The commission denounced the dissemination of such misinformation, saying that those responsible for starting and spreading the rumours should be aware of the harm they bring to people and society as a whole.
INEC reiterated its commitment to collaborating with reputable media experts to tackle the growing issue of false news.
