Yakubu Transfers INEC Leadership To Agbamuche As Acting Chairman

Professor Mahmood Yakubu has officially handed over the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to May Agbamuche, who will serve as the acting chairman of the electoral body. Agbamuche, the most senior National Commissioner currently serving at INEC, will assume the role until a new chairman is appointed and confirmed.

The transition was announced by Professor Yakubu during a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners held on Tuesday at INEC’s headquarters in Abuja. During the handover, he called on the commission’s staff and stakeholders to support Agbamuche in her interim role as she steers the affairs of the electoral commission.

Yakubu steps down after completing two full terms, totaling ten years in office—an unprecedented milestone in the commission’s history. He was first appointed as chairman in November 2015 by then-President Muhammadu Buhari, and reappointed for a second term in 2020. His reappointment marked the first time an INEC chairman served two consecutive terms since the commission’s formation.

Under Yakubu’s leadership, INEC conducted several key elections, including the 2019 and 2023 general polls. His tenure was also marked by electoral reforms and the introduction of new technologies intended to improve the credibility and transparency of the voting process. However, his time in office was not without criticism, as concerns over vote-buying and logistical lapses persisted.

With Yakubu’s departure, attention has now turned to President Bola Tinubu, who is expected to nominate a new chairman soon. The appointment will be subject to Senate confirmation. Civil society organisations have already begun calling for transparency and non-partisanship in the selection process.

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) recently issued a statement urging President Tinubu to make public the selection criteria and process for appointing the next INEC chairman. In a letter dated September 27, SERAP asked the president to disclose the number and names of potential candidates and confirm whether the Council of State has been consulted, as required by the Constitution.

Furthermore, SERAP encouraged the President to reconsider the appointments of at least three alleged members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) recently assigned as Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs). The organisation argued that only individuals without political affiliations should be appointed to such crucial roles to preserve the commission’s neutrality.

In a related commentary, Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, stressed the need for a non-partisan and principled individual to succeed Yakubu. Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Itodo noted that while INEC had achieved notable reforms, its progress had been hindered by recurring incidents of electoral malpractice. He emphasized that the next INEC chairman must demonstrate integrity, independence, and the courage to uphold the rule of law regardless of political pressures.

As the nation awaits the announcement of the next substantive INEC chairman, public scrutiny and demand for transparency continue to mount.