The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has denied that it is investigating drug-related charges against the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.
INEC’s chairman of its information and voter education committee, Festus Okoye, released a statement on Saturday urging the public to reject trending claims that the agency is probing Tinubu.
He also stated that the commission is not attempting to ban Tinubu from the 2023 presidential election due to a possible violation of the 2022 Electoral Act based on the drug dealing charges.
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According to Anaedoonline.ng, the INEC response comes in response to a letter that surfaced on social media on Friday bearing the electoral umpire’s letterhead and claiming Tinubu is being investigated by INEC over a 1993 case in the United States involving forfeiting some drug-related money to the US government.
The article further claimed that INEC was in contact with a US court over the matter, with the intention of filing a prosecution.
However, Okoye stated on Saturday that the letter is a forgery and that INEC is not following any such agenda.
He further stated that there is no attempt to disqualify Tinubu for probable violations of the Electoral Act 2022 since the alleged letter is the work of miscreants.
He said: “A Press Release purported to have been issued by the Commission has been trending online since yesterday Friday 11th November 2022.
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“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.”
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