The outgoing Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mahmood Yakubu, has revealed that his decision to leave office was driven by the need to allow a new leader to take charge of Nigeria’s electoral body ahead of critical upcoming tasks.
Yakubu officially handed over on Tuesday to national commissioner May Agbamuche-Mbu, who now assumes office as Acting Chairman of INEC. The brief handover ceremony took place at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja during a consultative meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners.
Addressing the gathering, Yakubu explained that stepping aside became necessary given the enormous responsibilities facing INEC, particularly as the country prepares for fresh electoral activities leading up to the 2027 general elections.
“I have taken a decision and conveyed the same as provided by Section 36, Subsections 1 and 2 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended,” Yakubu stated.
He said the handover to Agbamuche-Mbu, one of the most senior national commissioners by date of appointment, followed consultation with other national commissioners and would remain in effect pending the appointment of a substantive chairman.
“I hope that this will afford the appointing authorities adequate time to appoint a new chairman. It will also enable the new chairman to quickly settle down to the task of conducting elections and electoral activities in Africa’s most demographically and logistically complex environment,” he added.
Yakubu, who served as INEC chairman for 10 years, expressed gratitude to members of the commission, the RECs, political parties, the media, security agencies and Nigerians for their support throughout his tenure.
“Together, we innovated and managed the commission’s enormous responsibilities, sometimes on the verge of breaking down,” he recalled.
He also thanked the National Assembly, the National Peace Committee, civil society organizations, labour unions, and development partners, stating, “Above all, I thank Nigerians for their comments as well as criticisms which encouraged rather than discouraged us to persevere.”
Reflecting on his tenure, Yakubu highlighted several major reforms implemented under his leadership, including the consolidation of the biometric register of voters and the digitization of numerous manual processes. These included candidate nomination, accreditation of observers and journalists, submission of party agents, voter accreditation, and result management.
He also cited the introduction of technology for collation management, virtual training of staff, monitoring of party finances, and the establishment of the Election Monitoring and Support Centre.
However, Yakubu acknowledged that despite significant progress, the task of strengthening Nigeria’s electoral system remained incomplete. He disclosed that preparations were already underway for the Anambra governorship election in November, the FCT Area Council election, and the Ekiti and Osun polls scheduled for 2026.
Beyond these off-cycle elections, he revealed that INEC had begun groundwork for the 2027 general elections, pending the passage of a new Electoral Act currently before the National Assembly.
“It is expected that electoral reforms contained in the new act will necessitate further review of our regulations and guidelines, as well as the manuals for elections,” Yakubu noted.
He added that INEC would need to undertake a cleanup of the voters’ register, review polling unit locations, manage party primaries, and tackle the complex logistics of procuring, producing and transporting massive quantities of election materials by road, air and sea.
In her response, Acting INEC Chairman Agbamuche-Mbu commended Yakubu for setting high standards during his tenure and praised his hard work and dedication to serving the country.
“We acknowledge the significant contributions and achievements made by Yakubu during his tenure, in particular his hard work and dedication in serving our country meritoriously,” she said.
“We wish you God’s guidance in your future endeavours. As you step down, we pray for greater success in whatever you set out to do. We are confident that history will judge you very well.”
Agbamuche-Mbu assured Yakubu that the commission would strive to maintain and uphold the standards he had established.
“I pledge to uphold the integrity of the commission and work with utmost professionalism, dedication and in unity with the honourable commissioners, the RECs, the directors, all the staff of INEC nationwide,” she stated.
The acting chairman also pledged to collaborate with stakeholders to ensure the continued success and growth of the commission during this transitional period.
