The Presidency has refuted claims circulating online that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the dismissal or replacement of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu.
In a statement shared on Monday via his official 𝕏 (formerly Twitter) account, O’tega Ogra, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Digital and New Media, labelled the reports as baseless.
“Ignore the fake news circulating regarding the alleged removal of the INEC Chairman,” Ogra wrote. “Any such development would be formally announced through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) or another authorized government channel.”
Backing Ogra’s statement, Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, also dismissed the claims, emphasizing that no such action had been taken by the President.
“The rumor suggesting that President @officialABAT has removed or replaced the INEC Chairman is entirely false. Any decisions of this nature would be issued through verified, official means—not through speculation,” Bwala posted on social media.
The clarification comes after social media platforms were flooded with unverified reports on Monday, alleging that Tinubu had replaced Professor Yakubu with another academic, Professor Bashiru Olamilekan, in preparation for the 2027 general elections.
Prior to this, there had been speculation that President Tinubu was considering appointing a new INEC Chairman, given that Professor Yakubu’s tenure is set to expire in November 2025.
A report published by Vanguard claimed that powerful political players, including a former governor from Nigeria’s South-South region who served during the early years of the Fourth Republic, were lobbying for a candidate they believed would favor their interests.
