The Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Rotimi Oyekanmi, has urged the public to disregard the news making the rounds in some sections of the media about the purported death of the commission’s chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
Oyekanmi, in a statement issued on Saturday, recalled that mischief-makers on social media carried a similar fake story in 2021, saying that three years later, they are spreading the same rumour again.
He said: “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. 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 on Thursday, December 12, 2024. Both events were widely covered on television and reported on the front pages of most newspapers yesterday, Friday, December 13, 2024.
“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 commission will continue to work with genuine media professionals to combat the scourge of fake news and the danger it poses to society.”
Adedayo Akinwale
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