Rotimi Oyekanmi, who served as Chief Press Secretary to the outgoing INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, clarified that the staff at the commission’s headquarters sang a farewell song to honor Yakubu, not a funeral dirge. He said the gesture was a heartfelt tribute, filled with admiration and respect, as Yakubu exited the premises.
According to report by VANGUARD on Thursday October 9 2025, Rotimi said the media misrepresented the emotional send-off, twisting it into a negative narrative. Oyekanmi, who is also stepping down alongside Yakubu, strongly rejected claims that the staff’s song resembled a mourning chant, calling the report misleading and inaccurate.
Oyekanmi said the portrayal of the event as a funeral song was not only false but intentionally crafted to spread disinformation. He accused certain journalists of deliberately distorting the moment, suggesting that their actions were driven by personal bias rather than journalistic integrity.
Oyekanmi said it was disappointing that a media outlet would publish such a distorted version of events, especially when the truth was evident. He maintained that the staff’s actions were a genuine show of appreciation, and any attempt to frame it otherwise was both dishonest and shameful.
Oyekanmi said,
“The visible show of love and respect displayed by the appreciative INEC staff at the commission’s headquarters yesterday as the departing former INEC Chairman, Yakubu, walks to his car is now being intentionally misinterpreted and misrepresented as a ‘funeral song’”