By Ayomide Otitoju
Professor Mahmood Yakubu has officially handed over the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to May Agbamuche, who will serve as Acting National Chairman of the electoral body.
Agbamuche, the longest-serving National Commissioner at INEC, assumed the acting role following Yakubu’s completion of his two-term, 10-year tenure as chairman.
Yakubu made the announcement on Tuesday during a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) at the INEC headquarters in Abuja, where he urged commissioners and directors to extend their full support to Agbamuche until a substantive chairman is appointed.
President Bola Tinubu is expected to announce Yakubu’s successor soon, subject to confirmation by the Senate.
Yakubu was first appointed as INEC Chairman by former President Muhammadu Buhari in November 2015, six months after Buhari assumed office. His reappointment in 2020 made him the first person in Nigeria’s history to serve two consecutive terms as head of the electoral commission. During his tenure, INEC conducted several elections, including the 2019 and 2023 general polls.
As the commission prepares for a new leadership phase, civil society organisations and Nigerians are calling for transparency in the selection of Yakubu’s successor.
Last month, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) urged President Tinubu to “urgently disclose details of the selection and appointment process for the successor to Professor Mahmood Yakubu.”
In a letter dated September 27 and signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the group requested that Tinubu reveal the number and names of candidates being considered and confirm whether the Council of State has been or would be consulted, as required by the Constitution.
SERAP further advised the President to use the opportunity to review the appointment of three alleged members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) currently serving as Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) and replace them with non-partisan individuals.
“The selection and appointment process for Mr Yakubu’s replacement cannot and should not be a closed shop,” the letter stated. “A transparent and accountable process would serve legitimate public interests.”
Similarly, the Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, stressed that Nigeria requires a person of unquestionable integrity to lead INEC. Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on September 24, 2025, Itodo emphasized that Yakubu’s successor should be politically neutral and courageous enough to uphold the law without fear or favor.
