Senate President denies N2 billion bribe allegation to confirm INEC chairman

TRACKING____President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan has denied a news report linking him with a purported N2 billion bribe from Prof Mahmood Yakubu to facilitate his confirmation for a second term appointment as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He said the write up was meant to smear his image and that of the Nigerian Senate. While calling on Nigerians to disregard the allegation he described as fabrication, Lawan said such malicious publication exists only in the widest imagination of the writer.

A statement by the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the Senate President, Ola Awoniyi late Thursday evening said “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 N2 billion from Professor Mahmood Yakubu to facilitate the confirmation of his appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari for 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, the 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.

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We reassure Nigerians that the Senate President did not receive any gratification, in his or on behalf of others, to help Professor Yakubu get a second term as chairman of INEC.”

He challenged 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.”