The Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) has denied appointing Femi Odubiyi, an ally to president-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as head of its Information and Communications Technology (ICT) department.
Information Nigeria had reported that a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Bode George, in a statement on Sunday, alleged that Femi, who is a former commissioner in Lagos State was appointed as INEC’s ICT head.
Bode George however insisted that the INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, removes Odubiyi as the Commission’s ICT head because of his close relationship to Tinubu.
He added that Yakubu must explain to Nigerians how the former Commissioner for Science and Technology in Lagos State allegedly found his way into INEC as head of ICT, a critical department before, during, and after elections.
Meanwhile, reacting via a statement to the claim, INEC through Festus Okoye, its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, described Bode George’s claim as false.
The Commission noted that Odubiyi’s name does not exist within the ICT department adding that none of its ICT officials have held any political appointment in any State.
“To set the record straight, the name “Femi Odubiyi“ does not even exist within our ICT Department at the INEC headquarters in Abuja or any state office of the Commission.”
“Our ICT staff are career officers of the Commission. None has held any political appointment in any state of the Federation.
“The public is urged to disregard the story. The promoter should have been circumspect so as not to be seen as a purveyor of fake news,” the statement read.
