2023: INEC speaks on ‘investigating’ alleged criminal forfeiture case against Tinubu
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says the claims contained in a ‘press release’ circulating on social media that it is investigating a criminal forfeiture case against Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), is fake.
NewsClick Nigeria a document with INEC’s letterhead, which claimed that the commission was investigating a 1993 case in the United States involving Tinubu forfeiting some money to the US government, had surfaced on social media platforms on Friday.
Prior to the claim, documents had been shared on social media, which showed that Tinubu had forfeited $460,000 to the US government.
Speaking on the forfeiture, Festus Keyamo, spokesman of the APC presidential campaign council, had dismissed claims that the case linked Tinubu to illicit drugs, adding that the sum forfeited was tax deductions.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Festus Okoye, chairman, INEC information and voter education committee, said the document claiming the commission was investigating the US case on Tinubu was “fake”.
“A Press Release purported to have been issued by the Commission has been trending online since yesterday Friday 11th November 2022,” the statement reads.
“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.”
