March 15, (THEWILL) – The independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has refuted claims by a former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George, that Femi Odubiyi, a former Commissioner for Science and Technology in Lagos, is its Director of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) department.
The Electoral Commission, in a statement issued by Festus Okoye, National Commissioner, Information and Voter Education Committee, said Odubiyi was not on its staff list, let alone the head of its ICT department.
THEWILL reports that Chief George had accused INEC of compromise, by engaging an ally of President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as its head of ICT.
The allegations presented the commission as not only compromised, but also seen to be favouring the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State and in the entire country in general.
In his statement on Sunday, George said, “Today, millions of Nigerians are disputing the outcome of the February 25 presidential elections and some candidates are already in court. BVAS and IReV are very critical in the legal process that is going on.
“Nigerians are already asking Prof. Mahmood Yakubu: How did this man, former Commissioner in Lagos State, find his way into INEC, not just any Department but a critical one like ICT? That department is very sensitive. Why should a follower of a presidential candidate be deployed to man a sensitive department like ICT in an election year?
“How did he even get his way into INEC? Do we have acolytes of Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi and other candidates heading other departments in INEC? Nigerians need to know. Was there no background check by security agents before this man was chosen to head ICT? How do we want the world to look at us when somebody close to a presidential candidate decides what goes on in the ICT department?
“Now that other candidates are in court, is this not the time for this fellow to be redeployed? Who appointed him and when was he appointed? Nigerians need to know,” he said, adding “These are posers the INEC Chairman must unravel.”
But Okoye said, “nothing can be further from the truth” regarding the claim of the PDP chieftain, who is also a fierce critic of Tinubu.
“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.”
It added that its ICT staff are career officers of the Commission. No one has held any political appointment in any state of the federation.
Okoye advised the public to “please disregard such false information.”
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