The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has denied issuing a press release claiming it is investigating the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for alleged drug trafficking in the United States.
According to a press release purportedly signed by Festus Okoye, the Chairman of INEC Information and Voter Education, the electoral commission had been reported to have said it was working with the Northern Illinois District Court to determine the veracity of the allegation against the APC candidate.
The fake press release was dated, 11 November 2022.
However, INEC, in a statement signed by Festus Okoye on Saturday, categorically denied the press release and all information contained in it.
The commission also stated that it had no plans to investigate Tinubu for alleged drug trafficking.
“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,” said INEC.
It therefore advised the public to ignore the purported press release.
“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 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 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,” INEC said.
Members of opposition had last Tuesday resurrected a document allegedly linking the APC presidential candidate to drug trafficking in the US in 1993.
The document was first circulated by the opposition PDP in 2003 when Tinubu was seeking re-election.
However, it resurfaced weeks to the 2023 primary election of the APC, but failed to achieve the intended consequences of serving as basis for disqualification of Tinubu from the race.
However, in resurrecting the document, the opposition had described it as “certified true copy” from the U.S. Court.
But Tinubu campaign’s media and publicity director, Bayo Onanuga said he had perused the new document and it was not different from the earlier ones.
