By Akombo Aondona, Abuja
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has accepted Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s departure as chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission following the expiration of his second term in office.
Yakubu was first appointed in November 2015 as the 14th chairman of the commission for an initial term of five years. The appointment, which was renewed in 2020, has now expired due to the passage of time.
In a statement in Abuja by the his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu thanked Professor Yakubu for his services to the nation and his efforts to sustain Nigeria’s democracy, particularly through the organisation of free and fair elections throughout his two-term tenure.
In recognition of Yakubu’s dedicated service to the nation, President Tinubu has bestowed on him the honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger(CON).
President Tinubu also directed that Professor Yakubu should hand over to the most senior national commissioner, May Agbamuche-Mbu, who will direct the affairs of the commission until the completion of the process to appoint a successor.
In the letter dated October 3, 2025, Professor Yakubu thanked the President for the opportunity to serve the nation as chairman of the commission since 2015.
In his departure address, Yakubu expressed thanks to the nation and President Tinubu and other stakeholders for the opportunity given him to serve the country as INEC chairman.
Yakubu said: “Knowing the enormity of the challenges ahead having been privileged to serve the Commission for ten years with only a few more weeks to serve, I have taken a decision and conveyed same as provided by Sec. 306 (1) and (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as mended). In the interim, I am handing over to one of the most senior National Commissioners by date of appointment. Following consultation with other National Commissioners, Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu will serve in an acting capacity pending the appointment of a substantive Chairman of the Commission. I hope that this will afford the appointing authorities adequate time to appoint a new Chairman. It will also enable the new Chairman to settle down quickly to the task of conducting elections and electoral activities in Africa’s most demographically and logistically complex elections.
“I want to express my profound appreciation to members of the Commission and our Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) for the excellent working relations that we shared. Since 2015, I have worked with 24 National Commissioners and 67 RECs. So also to the staff of the Commission. Those involved in elections or vastly knowledgeable about election management understand what the conduct of elections entails. I will forever cherish the support of successive Secretaries and staff of the Commission nationwide. Together, we innovated and managed the Commission’s enormous responsibilities, sometimes on the verge of breaking down. I also enjoyed tremendous support and goodwill from members of the National Assembly, particularly successive Chairmen and Members of the Committees on Electoral Matters. So too from political parties, the National Peace Committee under our respected former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar GCFR, friends from civil society, the media and the labour unions. I must also appreciate the development partners for their support. The security agencies have been exceptional in securing the environment without which the conduct of elections will be impossible in some locations. I also thank my colleagues in the University system who played critical roles at the various stages of elections. I must also appreciate the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) without whose participation the management of election at polling unit level will be a nightmare. Young Nigerians serving in the NYSC are among the most educated patriotic and knowledgeable election officials I worked with. I also thank my family for their patience and support throughout the last ten years. Above all, I thank Nigerians for their comments as well as criticisms which encouraged rather than discouraged us to persevere.
“Today, we are presenting two books to the public. The first, entitled Election Management in Nigeria, 2015-2025, is a compendium of all the activities carried out in the last ten years under my watch. The second book entitled Innovations in Electoral Technology 2015 – 2025 more specifically dwells on the new technologies introduced by the Commission in the last one decade. The two publications have already been uploaded to our website for public access.”
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