Bode George lied about our ICT Dept – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reacted to allegations that it employed one Femi Odubiyi, a former commissioner in Lagos as a director in its ICT department. The allegation was made by a former deputy national chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Bode George. George was quoted in some media reports as saying that the said Odubiyi was a former Lagos State commissioner for Science and Technology. The PDP chieftain also claimed that the Odubiyi is an ally of the president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. But INEC in a statement by its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, on Tuesday dismissed the claim, accusing George of peddling fake news. Okoye said the commission does not have anyone with such name in its ICT Department. He said, “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.” Okoye said INEC’s ICT staff are career officers and none has held any political appointment in any state of the federation. He, therefore, asked the public to disregard the claim by the PDP chieftain, saying “its promoter should have been circumspect so as not to be seen as a purveyor of fake news.”