INEC dismisses claim on investigation of Tinubu for US forfeiture

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Saturday a claim on the investigation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, over the forfeiture of funds to the United State government in 1993.

A certified true copy of a settlement order issued by a court in the US on forfeiture of funds in bank accounts linked to the former Lagos State governor surfaced on social media on Tuesday.

In the document, the court declared that the said funds were proceeds of drug trafficking.

However, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, who rose stoutly in defence of the APC candidate during a TV interview, said the funds forfeited to the US government were not proceeds of drug deals but tax deductions.

A document claiming INEC was investigating Tinubu for forfeiting money to the US surfaced on social media on Friday.

However, in a statement issued by its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, the commission described the document as fake and urged Nigerians to disregard it.

READ ALSO: Funds Tinubu forfeited to US are tax deductions, not proceeds of drug deals – Keyamo

The statement read: “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 a 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.”

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