Chairman of Nigeria’s electoral umpire, INEC, Mahmood Yakubu, says he is not contemplating running for the country’s presidency as suggested in the media spaces.

Mr Yakubu’s spokesman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, in a statement on Sunday described the idea as “preposterous”, adding that it would be personally immoral for the chairman to do so.   

“Our attention has been drawn to innuendoes in certain quarters that Nigerians should not be surprised if the INEC Chairman joins the Presidential race or urging him to do so. It is a preposterous proposition. it will not happen.

“The Chairman remains an umpire committed to free, fair and credible elections. His constitutional responsibilities as the Chief Electoral Commissioner of the Federation and Returning Officer for the presidential election are onerous enough for him to even contemplate straying into extraneous matters at variance with law, morality and his personal principles,” parts of the statement read.

The speculations follow a flurry of descent into partisan political arena ahead of the 2023 elections by top officials of the Buhari regime, in brazen breaches of extant regulations.

The purchase of the APC presidential nomination form for Central Bank governor Godwin Emefiele has been generating fierce criticisms from the civil society and opposition, who said Mr Emefiele’s fledging interest in political office has compromised his position as the overseer of the nation’s finance regulator.

In similar vein, Attorney General Abubarkar Malami has declared his interest in running for governorship in his Kebbi home state, rebuffing calls for his resignation before pursuing his political ambition.