Professor Mahmood Yakubu has concluded his ten-year tenure as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), formally handing over the reins of the electoral body on Tuesday. Having served two five-year terms after his initial appointment in 2015, Yakubu stepped down and passed responsibilities to National Commissioner May Agbamuche, who will serve in an acting capacity.
In his farewell, the former INEC Chairman urged his former colleagues to extend their full cooperation to the Acting Chairman until a substantive head is appointed. The decision for a new INEC Chairman is now before President Bola Tinubu and is anticipated to be a key topic at the forthcoming Council of State meeting later this week.
The transition has ignited a broader debate on the process of appointing the nation’s chief electoral umpire. In a related development, the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), which represents registered political parties, has proposed a significant reform to insulate the appointment process from executive influence.
IPAC’s National Chairman, Dr. Yusuf Mamman Dantalle, presented the proposal during a consultative meeting with the House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review. He argued for the establishment of an independent body to appoint the INEC Chairman, National Commissioners, and Secretary to ensure greater neutrality and strengthen electoral integrity.
“Instead, an Independent Appointment Committee (IAC) should be established, composed of representatives from all registered political parties, civil society organisations, the National Judicial Council, and a committee of the National Assembly drawn from both the majority and minority caucuses,” Dantalle stated.
He emphasized that such an arrangement would “ensure inclusivity, transparency, and credibility in the process of appointing the leadership of the nation’s electoral umpire.”
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