The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has debunked the news rumour making rounds in the social media of the death of its Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu. This is just as the Commission asked the public to disregard reports on the death.
The rebuttal was contained in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi on Saturday.
According to Oyekanmi, Yakubu is alive, he said.
He noted that the clarification became necessary following reports that the INEC Chairman had died in London.
The statement read, “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, December 9, 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, December 11, 2024.
“He also chaired the Commission’s meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners, REC, on Thursday, December 12, 2024. Both events were widely covered on television and reported on the front pages of most newspapers yesterday, Friday, December13, 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 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.
source: Channels TV
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