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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has debunked circulating reports alleging the death of its Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu.
In a statement issued today, Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, dismissed the claims as baseless and urged the public to disregard the rumors.
“Our attention has been drawn to a fake news narrative circulating on social media, claiming that the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, passed away in a London hospital. This story, which first surfaced on Monday, December 9, 2024, is entirely false,” the statement read.
Oyekanmi clarified that Prof. Yakubu is “alive, hale, and hearty” and has not visited London in the last two years. He emphasized that the Chairman has been actively carrying out his duties, highlighting his presence at an interactive session with the House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters on December 11, 2024, and a subsequent meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners on December 12, 2024. Both events were well-documented and widely reported in the media.
This is not the first time false reports about Prof. Yakubu’s health have surfaced.
According to Oyekanmi, a similar rumor was circulated in 2021, and the recent incident appears to be a repetition of that misinformation campaign.
