Mahmood Yakubu bows out as INEC chairman

Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has handed over the leadership of the commission to May Agbamuche-Mbu, who will now serve as acting national chairman.

Yakubu made the announcement on Tuesday during a meeting with resident electoral commissioners (RECs) at the INEC headquarters in Abuja.

Agbamuche-Mbu, who represents Delta state on the commission, is the oldest serving national commissioner.

She will oversee the affairs of the electoral body pending the appointment of a substantive chairman by President Bola Tinubu.

In his brief remarks, Yakubu thanked members of the commission for their cooperation during his tenure and urged them to extend the same level of support and professionalism to his successor.

Agbamuche-Mbu, a lawyer, has served as an INEC national commissioner since 2016 and was reappointed in 2021 for a second term.

She has played key roles in election monitoring, legal compliance, and stakeholder engagement initiatives.

Her appointment as acting chairman follows standard administrative procedure, which allows the most senior national commissioner to temporarily assume leadership in the absence or transition of a substantive chair.

Yakubu’s handover marks the end of his second term as INEC chairman, a tenure that spanned some of Nigeria’s most contentious electoral cycles.

Appointed in 2015 and reappointed in 2020, Yakubu oversaw the conduct of two general elections—in 2019 and 2023—and several off-cycle governorship and legislative polls.

Under his leadership, INEC introduced several reforms, including the bimodal voter accreditation system (BVAS) and the INEC result viewing (iReV) portal, aimed at enhancing transparency and credibility in the electoral process.

The commission is expected to continue preparations for upcoming off-cycle election in Anambra this year, as well as ongoing review processes for electoral guidelines and logistics planning.

Agbamuche-Mbu is expected to steer these efforts in an acting capacity until a new chairman is formally appointed.

Yakubu’s departure comes amid ongoing calls for electoral reforms and debates over constitutional amendments to strengthen INEC’s independence and operational efficiency.

The handover was witnessed by INEC national commissioners, directors, and senior staff, marking the beginning of a new administrative phase for Nigeria’s election management body.