By our Reporter/Agency Report
The Independent National Electoral Commission,(INEC) has debunked a viral statement claiming that it has commenced an investigation into a case of criminal forfeiture against the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 General Election.
The commission in a statement by its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, in Abuja on Saturday, described the statement as fake news and the handiwork of mischief makers.
“A press release purported to have been issued by the Commission has been trending online since yesterday Friday Nov. 11, 2022,” Mr Okoye said of the fake press release suggesting INEC was investigating Mr Tinubu.
“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.”
The fake press statement had claimed that INEC was investigating Mr Tinubu over a controversial forfeiture he made in 1993 to the U.S. government when he was being investigated for allegedly links to a drug network.
Denying the fake statement, Mr Okoye said that press releases from the INEC are uploaded to the INEC Press Corps platform and simultaneously disseminated through the commission’s website and official social media handles.
(NAN)