By Seye Olumide
Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Rotimi Lawrence Oyekanmi, yesterday dispelled the rumour that his boss, Prof Mahmoud Yakubu, was on terminal leave.

Oyekanmi, while responding to questions, said it was not true that his boss had proceeded on terminal leave, stressing that Yakubu’s tenure as INEC boss was yet to expire and; therefore, he remained the commission’s boss.

The Guardian findings showed that Yakubu would remain in office as the INEC chairman till December when his second term tenure would end. On the removal INEC chairman from office as INEC chairman, the 1999 Constitution does not empower the President to singlehandedly remove INEC chairman without the two-third majority support of the Senate and House of Representatives.

Section 157 of the Constitution says the chairman can only be removed from office by the President, acting on an address supported by two-third majority of the Senate praying that he be removed for inability to discharge the functions of the office (whether arising from infirmity of mind or body or any other cause) or for misconduct.

It is important to further note that Section 158 provides that INEC shall not be subject to the direction or control of any individual. A source from the commission said the error in addressing Olumekun as the acting national chairman of INEC actually fuelled the rumour about Yakubu’s removal.

A source from the Presidency also dispelled the rumour, but disclosed that it was not out of place for President Bola Tinubu to have started looking for possible replacement for the incumbent INEC chairman.