The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, says its purported investigation of criminal forfeiture against Bola Tinubu – the presidential flag-bearer of the All Progressives Congress, APC – is not true.
According to the statement titled ‘Certified True Copy of Order of Criminal Forfeiture against APC Presidential Candidate Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the United States’ and allegedly signed by INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee – Festus Okoye, the electoral body was liaising with the Northern Illinois District Court in the United States to establish more facts about the case before making a decision.
But in a swift reaction Saturday, Okoye said the press release did not come from INEC.
He noted it was the handiwork of mischief-makers and advised the public to disregard it.
“A press release purported to have been issued by the commission has been trending online since Friday, November 11, 2022,” Okoye’s statement reads.
“It claims that the commission has commenced an 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 the same to determine a possible violation of our guidelines or the Electoral Act 2022.”
He added: “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.”
