President Bola Tinubu is expected to nominate a new Chairman for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) this week, following the end of Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s two-term, ten-year tenure in November 2025.
Yakubu, who led the electoral body through two general election cycles, officially handed over the leadership of INEC on Tuesday to May Agbamuche, who will serve as the Acting National Chairman until a substantive replacement is confirmed.
The appointment is seen as a pivotal step in the countdown to the 2027 general elections, with stakeholders emphasizing the necessity of an impartial and competent leader to safeguard electoral integrity.
Call for Transparency
The President’s nominee is required to be confirmed by the Senate, as stipulated by Section 154(1) of the Nigerian Constitution.
Meanwhile, civil society groups, including the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), have urged President Tinubu to ensure a transparent appointment process. SERAP previously called on the President to “urgently disclose details of the selection and appointment process for the successor to Professor Mahmood Yakubu.”
SERAP also emphasized the need to nominate non-members of any political party, arguing that “There is a strong correlation between transparency in the selection and appointment process of INEC chairman and the ability of the commission to perform its constitutional and statutory duties in an independent and impartial manner.”
Yakubu was first appointed in 2015 by former President Muhammadu Buhari and reappointed for a second term in 2020. The impending appointment under President Tinubu marks a critical transition point for the commission ahead of the next national elections.
