Ahmed Lawan Denies Collecting N2b Bribe To Confirm Mahmood Yakubu As INEC Chairman

The Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, has denied collecting N2 billion to facilitate the confirmation of Professor Mahmoud Yakubu for a second term as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

KanyiDaily recalls that President Muhammadu Buhari had recently reappointed Mahmood for a second five-year term and asked the Senate to confirm his appointment.

However, it was learnt on Wednesday that a group in the Senate, led by Lawan, demanded N2bn bribe from the nominee to facilitate his confirmation, according to SaharaReporters.

Reacting in a statement by his Special Adviser (Media), Ola Awoniyi on Thursday, Lawan described the allegation as spurious and existing only in the imagination of purveyors of fake news.

The Senate President challenged “the sponsors of the false publication to provide whatever evidence that they can in support of their glib claims.”

“The attention of the Office of the Senate President has been drawn to a report by SaharaReporters alleging that a group led by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, collected N2billion from Professor Mahmood Yakubu to facilitate the confirmation of his appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari to a fresh five-year tenure as chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“It is noteworthy that the publication, as always with its ridiculous fabricated reports, could not even expand the entertainment of its readers by providing the names of members of the fictitious group and where the group operates from. To be sure, that group exists only in the mischievous imagination of the writer of the fiction.

“We, therefore, wish to enjoin Nigerians to ignore the report as yet another incident of hallucination by the comical characters operating the fabricated news platform. The online medium has long earned its notoriety as a purveyor of fake news with high profile public officials as its targets.

“It is well known that only the President can nominate a candidate for appointment or reappointment as Chairman of INEC. And only the Senate as a body can confirm or reject the appointment, after due screening of the candidate. The parliamentary process for the confirmation of nominations by the President is open and involves all distinguished senators.

“The Senate President is only a presiding officer of the Senate and does not lead any group in or outside the august chamber that acts in any way to circumvent the processes of the Senate. We reassure Nigerians that the Senate President did not receive any gratification, in his or behalf of others, to help Professor Yakubu get a second term as chairman of INEC.

“We challenge SaharaReporters and the sponsors of the false publication to provide whatever evidence that they can in support of their glib claims, failing which Nigerians should dismiss the report as another cheap blackmail from a platform that has no reputation for credible reportage and ethical journalism practise.”

KanyiDaily recalls that President Buhari had also asked the Senate to confirm the appointment of one of his media aides, Lauretta Onochie, as INEC National Commissioner representing Delta State.