Peter Okoye, PBA Journalism Mentee
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has denied appointing Femi Odubiyi, a former Commissioner in Lagos State as its Head of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) department.
The Commission made this known in a statement released on Tuesday night signed by Festus Okoye, INEC’s National Commissioner, Information and Voter Education Committee.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelIt was in response to a statement credited to former deputy national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode Bode George, who accused INEC of appointing Odubiyi, an ex-commissioner in Lagos State and an associate of a prominent politician as its Head of ICT.
George, a prominent Lagos politician, reportedly urged INEC to remove Odubiyi from heading the commission’s ICT department because of his closeness to a political party.
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The PDP chieftain said the first thing the INEC chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, must do was to explain to Nigerians how Odubiyi allegedly found his way into INEC as head of ICT, “a critical department before, during and after elections.”
Okoye, however, stated that the name, Femi Odubiyi does not exist in INEC’s ICT department both at the federal and state levels.
He further explained that the ICT staff of the Commission are career staff who have not held any political positions before and urged the Nigerians to disregard the story by Chief Bode George.
“The attention of the Commission has been drawn to a widely publicised report attributed to a well-known Lagos politician, Chief Bode George, that the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) has appointed one Femi Odubiyi, a former Commissioner in Lagos State and an associate of a prominent politician, as it’s Head of ICT. Nothing can be further from the truth.
“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 carrier officers of the Commission. None has held any political appointment in any State of the Federation.
“The public is urged to disregard the story. Its promoter should have been circumspect to be seen as a purveyor of fake news,” Okoye said.
