A National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), May Agbamuche-Mbu, has assumed duty as the acting Chairman of the Commission, following the formal handover by Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who has proceeded on terminal leave.
The transition was announced on Tuesday during a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) held at the INEC headquarters in Abuja.
Speaking at the session, Professor Yakubu said his decision was in line with Section 306 (1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
“After serving the Commission for 10 years and with only a few weeks left in my tenure, I have decided to hand over to one of the most senior national commissioners by date of appointment,” he said.
He explained that following consultations with other national commissioners, Agbamuche-Mbu would act in that capacity pending the appointment of a substantive chairman.
“This will give the appointing authorities sufficient time to name a new chairman and allow for a smooth transition ahead of upcoming elections in Africa’s most demographically and logistically complex environment,” he added.
Reflecting on his decade-long tenure, Yakubu expressed gratitude to colleagues, staff, civil society organisations, development partners, and Nigerians for their support and constructive criticism.
“Since 2015, I have worked with 24 national commissioners, 67 resident electoral commissioners, and thousands of staff nationwide. I am also grateful to NYSC members who served as some of the most dedicated and patriotic election officials,” he said.
As part of his farewell, Yakubu unveiled two publications documenting INEC’s work under his leadership — Election Management in Nigeria (2015–2025) and Innovations in Electoral Technology (2015–2025) — before signing his handover notes and presenting them to Agbamuche-Mbu.
In his remarks, he outlined INEC’s ongoing preparations for several forthcoming elections, including the Anambra governorship election in November, the FCT Area Council election in February 2026, the Ekiti governorship poll in June 2026, and the Osun governorship election in August 2026.
Yakubu also confirmed that the Commission had already commenced early preparations for the 2027 general elections, pending the passage of a new Electoral Act currently before the National Assembly.
He noted that INEC would continue efforts to update the voters’ register, review polling unit locations, and enhance the conduct of political party primaries.
Reflecting on his years at the helm, the outgoing chairman highlighted the Commission’s major challenges, including insecurity, natural disasters, and the logistics of conducting elections across Nigeria’s vast terrain.
“We responded to challenges with innovation — consolidating the biometric voters’ register, digitising several processes, introducing platforms for election monitoring, and enhancing transparency in political party finances,” Yakubu said.
He, however, acknowledged that “a lot more still needs to be done.”
Professor Yakubu, born in May 1962, previously served as the Executive Secretary of the Education Trust Fund before his appointment as INEC Chairman by former President Muhammadu Buhari on October 21, 2015.
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He assumed office on November 9, 2015, succeeding Professor Attahiru Jega, and was reappointed in 2020, becoming the first INEC chairman to serve two consecutive terms in Nigeria’s democratic history.
“All that remains is for me to pray that God will continue to bless our country and our democracy,” Yakubu concluded before taking his exit.
