The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has described as untrue a purported letter from the Commission seeking clarifications from a foreign country information about one of the leading presidential candidates in the 2023 election.

National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr. Festus Okoye, on Saturday described as fake, a press statement purportedly issued by the Commission on Friday. The fake press statement claimed that the Commission has commenced investigation into a case of criminal forfeiture against a presidential candidate in the February 2023 general elections and is liaising with a Court in the United States in pursuit of same to determine possible violation of INEC guidelines or the Electoral Act 2022.

But Mr. Okoye in a statement on Saturday said this was not true. According to him, “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,he stressed.