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Former chief press secretary to Mahmood Yakubu, immediate past chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Rotimi Oyekanmi, has dismissed reports describing staff farewell chants as a “funeral song.”
In a post on X, Oyekanmi said it was “a shame” that a news platform would “report the direct opposite of an event even when the evidence is clear.”
He said INEC staff at the commission’s headquarters had shown “visible love and respect” as Yakubu walked to his car, contrary to claims by the publication.
His words: “This deliberate piece of disinformation can only be conjured by a set of haters masquerading as journalists at Sahara Reporters. But they have failed and will continue to fail.”
Oyekanmi said INEC staff had always appreciated Yakubu’s “transformative policies” over the past decade, which he said brought promotions, improved allowances, and capacity development programmes.
He described the Sahara Reporters’ publication as “misleading”, urging its management to caution those “using its platform to spread lies about individuals, institutions and events.”
“Journalism is about facts, accuracy and truthfulness, not a vehicle to be misused by pseudo journalists to embark on a campaign of calumny against individuals,” Oyekanmi said.
He added that Yakubu’s “place in history is assured, no matter the lies being spread by familiar forces.”
