INEC Refutes Claim Of Appointing Ex-Lagos Commissioner As ICT Head

Posted by Nwa Diokpa Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Wednesday, March 15th, 2023

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has refuted reports of appointing Femi Odubiyi, a former commissioner in Lagos state, as head of its information and communications technology (ICT) department.

Bode George, former deputy chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had claimed that the former commissioner is the new head of ICT at INEC.

George had tasked Mahmood Yakubu, INEC chairman, to remove Odubiyi because of his closeness to Bola Tinubu, the president-elect alleging that Odubiyi is a mole “deliberately planted” in INEC to subvert the will of the Nigerian voters.

Reacting, Festus Okoye, INEC national commissioner, in a statement on Wednesday, stated that the PDP chieftain’s allegation is far from the truth.

“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,” the statement reads.

“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. Its promoter should have been circumspect so as not to be seen as a purveyor of fake news.”