ABUJA: Professor Mahmood Yakubu has officially handed over the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu, who now serves as the Acting National Chairman of the Commission.
The handover took place on Tuesday at the INEC headquarters in Abuja during a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs).
Yakubu, who has completed his second and final term, said his decision to step down was in accordance with Section 306, Subsections 1 and 2 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
Agbamuche-Mbu, a National Commissioner and the oldest serving member of the Commission, will oversee INEC’s affairs pending the appointment of a substantive chairman by President Bola Tinubu, subject to Senate confirmation.
Having had the honour of serving the Commission for the past 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, Yakubu said.
Following consultations with other commissioners, Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu will act in this capacity until a new chairman is appointed.
Yakubu expressed gratitude to INEC staff, national commissioners, civil society organizations, the media, and Nigerians for their support during his decade-long stewardship.
He also commended members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), describing them as “among the most educated, patriotic, and dependable election officials.
During the ceremony, Yakubu presented two publications chronicling INEC’s activities and innovations under his leadership — Election Management in Nigeria 2015–2025 and Innovations in Electoral Technology 2015–2025.
Reflecting on his tenure, the outgoing chairman highlighted the Commission’s technological reforms, including digital platforms for voter registration, election monitoring, and party finance tracking.
He acknowledged challenges such as insecurity, natural disasters, and logistics constraints but said INEC had made “tremendous progress” in strengthening Nigeria’s electoral process.
Beyond these achievements, more needs to be done,” Yakubu added. “The Commission must continue cleaning up the voters’ register, improving polling unit distribution, and ensuring transparency in party primaries.
Before his exit, Yakubu outlined preparations for several upcoming polls, the Anambra governorship election next month, the FCT Area Council polls in February 2026, and the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections later that year. He also confirmed that groundwork for the 2027 general elections had already begun.
Yakubu, who was born in May 1962, was first appointed INEC Chairman by former President Muhammadu Buhari on October 21, 2015, and confirmed by the Senate.
He succeeded Professor Attahiru Jega and became the first Nigerian to serve two full terms as INEC chairman after his reappointment in 2020.
With his exit, public attention now shifts to President Tinubu, who is expected to announce Yakubu’s substantive successor in the coming days.
Civil society organisations, including the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and Yiaga Africa, have urged the President to ensure a transparent, non-partisan, and merit-based selection process.
SERAP, in a recent letter to the Presidency, demanded that details of the appointment procedure and the list of candidates be made public, while Yiaga Africa’s Executive Director, Samson Itodo, called for an individual of unblemished integrity and independence” to lead the Commission.
The new INEC chairman must be courageous, non-partisan, and committed to strengthening Nigeria’s democracy, Itodo stated.
As Yakubu bows out after a decade at the helm of Nigeria’s electoral body, he prayed for God’s continued blessings upon the country and its democracy, officially signing his handover notes to Agbamuche-Mbu before taking his leave.
