The Presidency has firmly denied widespread speculation suggesting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has authorized the removal of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu.
In a post shared via his official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Monday afternoon, O’tega Ogra, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Digital and New Media, categorically refuted the claims. He urged the public to disregard the circulating reports, describing them as entirely fabricated.
“Disregard any fake news making the rounds about the replacement of the INEC Chairman,” Ogra stated. “Any such announcement will come from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) or another authorized official source.”
Echoing this clarification, Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Policy Communication, also discredited the reports. In a social media post, Bwala emphasized that the President had not dismissed or replaced the INEC Chairman.
“The story trending across media platforms that President @officialABAT has either sacked or replaced the INEC Chairman is completely untrue and should be ignored,” he said. “Official decisions or announcements from the President are always communicated through proper and recognized channels, not through rumors.”
The denial comes in response to reports that surfaced on social media on Monday, claiming that Professor Mahmood Yakubu had been relieved of his duties and replaced by Professor Bashiru Olamilekan in preparation for the 2027 general elections.
Additionally, earlier media reports hinted that President Tinubu might be considering potential successors for Professor Yakubu, whose tenure is scheduled to end in November 2025. According to Vanguard News, some influential political figures, including a former governor from Nigeria’s South-South region are allegedly lobbying for the appointment of a preferred candidate who might serve their interests.
While President Tinubu has not made any official statements or endorsements regarding Yakubu’s replacement, the report suggests that both internal stakeholders at the Presidential Villa and external political actors are involved in the background discussions. This has sparked concerns among observers and democracy advocates who fear that appointing a politically-aligned individual could undermine the impartiality of the electoral process ahead of the 2027 elections.
For now, the government insists that no such decision has been made, urging the public and media to rely only on official communication channels for verified information.
