The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has denied authoring a statement on allegations of drug trafficking made against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
In a statement released by the INEC National Commissioner of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Barr. Festus Okoye said the trending news on social media was fake.
Newsflash Nigeria learnt that the INEC news has been trending online since yesterday Friday 11th November 2022 that the commission has commenced an investigation into a case of criminal forfeiture and drug trafficking against Bola Tinubu.
The said statement quoted INEC National Commissioner in charge of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Barr. Festus Okoye as saying the commission was in talks with United States authorities to get more details on the allegation with a view to determining whether the APC standard bearer may have violated relevant provisions of the Electoral Law 2022 (as amended).
But the commission said the 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.
The commission advises the public to ignore the Press Release.
See the Full 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 an 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 a 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.
