The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has described claims that the chairman of the Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, will join 2023 presidential race as false and mischievous.
In a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Sunday, the chief press secretary to the INEC chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, also described the claim as a preposterous proposition, adding that it will not happen.
The nation’s electoral body said the chairman of the Commission remains an umpire committed to free, fair, and credible elections.
The statement reads in part: “Our attention has been drawn to innuendoes in certain quarters that Nigerians should not be surprised if the INEC chairman joins the Presidential race or urging him to do so. It is a preposterous proposition. It will not happen.
“His constitutional responsibilities as the Chief Electoral Commissioner of the Federation and Returning Officer for the presidential election are onerous enough for him to even contemplate straying into extraneous matters at variance with the law, morality, and his personal principles.”
The statement added that the helmsman of the Commission will continue to discharge his responsibilities without affection for, or ill-will against, any political party or candidate.
