2023 Election: INEC Speaks On Appointing Tinubu’s Ex-commissioner As ICT Head

By Damilare Adeleye
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Femi Ofubiyi

The Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) has dismissed claim that it appointed Femi Odubiyi, a former Commissioner of the President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as head of its Information and Communications Technology department.

The Nigerian Voice recalls that a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr Bode George, in a statement on Sunday, alleged that Femi, who is a former commissioner in Lagos State during the administration of Tinubu was appointed as INEC’s ICT head.

The former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP thence called on the INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to immediately remove Odubiyi as the Commission’s ICT head due to his closeness to Tinubu.

He also demanded that Prof. Yakubu should explain to Nigerians how the former Commissioner for Science and Technology in Lagos State allegedly found his way into INEC as head of ICT, a critical department before, during, and after elections.

Meanwhile, while reacting via a statement, INEC through its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, described Bode George’s claim as false.

The electoral body noted that the name of Tinubu’s ally does not exist within the ICT department adding that none of its ICT officials have held any political appointment in any state.

The statement reads: “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.”

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