INEC denies investigating Bola Tinubu over US drug case
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Bola Tinubu
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has denied launching investigation into a case of criminal forfeiture against the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu.
Recall that the former Lagos State governor has been in the eye of the storm over the documents released by a Chicago District Court indicting him of drug dealings and money laundering in 1993.
The presidential hopeful entered a plea bargain with the American authorities leading to the forfeiture of his assets.
According to the court documents, Bola Tinubu forfeited the sum of $460,000 dollars in his bank account at First Heritage Bank to the US government.
Meanwhile, INEC in a statement by its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye on Saturday, described the purported investigation as fake.
According to him, the said press release announcing the commencement of the investigation did not emanate from the electoral body.
While noting that the news was concocted by mischief makers, he said INEC is not pursuing the purported course of action in the fake press release.
The statement reads, “A Press Release purported to have been issued by the Commission has been trending online since yesterday Friday 11th November 2022. It claims that the Commission has commenced investigation into a case of criminal forfeiture against one of the Presidential candidates in the forthcoming General Election and is liaising with a Court in the United States of America in pursuit of same to determine possible violation of our guidelines or the Electoral Act 2022.
“We wish to state categorically that the said Press Release did not emanate from the Commission nor is it pursuing the purported course of action. It is the handiwork of mischief makers and utterly fake.
“Press Releases from the Commission are uploaded to the INEC Press Corps platform and simultaneously disseminated through our website and official social media handles.
“The public is advised to ignore the Press Release.”
