Lawan Reacts To Alleged Receipt Of N2bn To Confirm INEC Chairman

The Office of the President of the Senate reacted on Thursday to the allegation of receipt of N2 billion in order to confirm the Prof. Mahmood Yakubu as Chairman of the National Independent Electoral Commission (INEC).

An online medium had reported that a group led by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, collected N2 billion from Prof. Yakubu to facilitate the confirmation of his appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari for a fresh five-year tenure as INEC Chairman.

The Office of the Senate President described the publication as fabricated and mischievous.

“It is noteworthy that the publication, as always with its ridiculous fabricated reports, could not even expand the entertainment of its readers by providing the names of members of the fictitious group and where the group operates from. To be sure, that group exists only in the mischievous imagination of the writer of the fiction.

“We, therefore, wish to enjoin Nigerians to ignore the report as yet another incident of hallucination by the comical characters operating the fabricated news platform. The online medium has long earned its notoriety as a purveyor of fake news with high profile public officials as its targets,” the Office of the Senate President said in a statement issued by his media adviser, Ola Awoniyi.

Noting that only the President can nominate a candidate for appointment or reappointment as Chairman of INEC, the Office of the Senate President said it is the prerogative of the red chamber to confirm or reject such appointment after a due screening of the candidate.

“The parliamentary process for the confirmation of nominations by the President is open and involves all distinguished senators.

“The Senate President is only a presiding officer of the Senate and does not lead any group in or outside the august chamber that acts in any way to circumvent the processes of the Senate.

“We reassure Nigerians that the Senate President did not receive any gratification, in his or behalf of others, to help Professor Yakubu get a second term as chairman of INEC,” the office added.