Prof Mahmood Yakubu, INEC chairman
Anambra REC ‘alive and well,’ says INEC, as police refute report of assassination of Yakubu
Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Anambra State, Dr Nkwachukwu Orji is alive and on duty, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
INEC in the state said the clarification had become necessary following rumours making the rounds claiming that gunmen had killed the REC.
Also, the police command in Anambra State has refuted reports that the INEC National Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu was assassinated while on tour to the state ahead of the governorship elections slated for November 6.
Reacting to the report, the electoral body said the REC, Mr Orji is alive and on duty working for a peaceful governorship election in the state.
“Dear Colleagues,
Here’s the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Anambra State, Dr Nkwachukwu Orji in his office at the Commission’s State Office, Awka, Anambra State at this very moment.
“Some fake news peddlers have been saying he’s been murdered. He is ALIVE and WELL.”
Maenwhile, Anambra Police Command has issued a statement debunking rumours on the alleged assassination of the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mahmood Yakubu in Anambra state.
In the statement, signed by Nkeiruka Nwode, the Zonal PPRO of the force said the news is ‘fake’.
“The attention of the Anambra State Police command has been drawn to the news trending on social media and other conventional media on the purported killing of the chairman Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) where media were giving different correlations.
“For avoidance of doubt and the purpose of clarity, the command wishes to state that the Independent Electoral Commission Chairman Prof Mahmood Yakubu held a stakeholders meeting in Awka today 2nd November, 2021 and stated the preparedness of the commission to hold peaceful election in the state. While the security agencies are ever ready to enforce their statutory responsibility to ensure hitch free exercise.
“The CP hereby urges the journalist and other well -meaning individuals to join the fight against crime reporting contents that don’t contrast current state of security in the society as they too should be agent of Law and order.
“In view of the foregoing, the CP wants to state unequivocally that the publication is false and absolutely misleading. It is a figment of imagination deliberately orchestrated by the mischief makers to cause unnecessary tension and chaos in the polity,” the statement read.
