Nigeria, March 22 -- The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cleared the air on the allegations that the INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, attempted to distort the governorship election result in Abia.

Social media posts suggest that Mr Yakubu gave a directive contrary to the commission's guidelines to the Presiding Officer in Abia State, Nnenna Oti.

Ms Oti's speech that she would do the right thing was framed as a dissent from a contrary directive given by the INEC Chairman.

But Rotimi Oyekanmi, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, said Mr Yakubu never called the Returning Officer to give her a directive.

He explained that the Returning Officer wanted an official communication on the Commission's decision to ...