A National Commissioner at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), May Agbamuche-Mbu, has assumed office as the acting chairman of the electoral body following the formal handover by Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who has proceeded on terminal leave.
Naijaonpoint reports that the announcement was made on Tuesday during a stakeholders’ meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners at INEC headquarters in Abuja.
Yakubu, who has presided over the commission since 2015, officially handed over to Agbamuche-Mbu, paving the way for her to oversee the commission’s affairs as preparations for the 2027 general elections begin to gather momentum.
Here are key things to know about the new Acting Chairman:
– Agbamuche-Mbu, a lawyer with over 30 years of professional experience, brings a wealth of expertise to the role.
– A native of Delta State but raised in Kano, she attended St. Louis Secondary School before proceeding to the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), where she obtained her LLB in 1984.
– She was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1985 and later qualified as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales, underlining her international credentials.
– The new acting INEC chairman holds multiple advanced degrees, including an LLM in Commercial and Corporate Law from Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London, as well as postgraduate degrees in International Dispute Resolution and International Business Law.
– She is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK), Nigeria Branch, where she once served as secretary, underscoring her reputation as an expert in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).
– Before joining INEC, Agbamuche-Mbu led her own law firm, Norfolk Partners, and was also active in legal journalism as Editor of THISDAY LAWYER and author of the widely read LEGAL EAGLE column between 2014 and 2016.
– She has also served on several national committees, including the Presidential Projects Assessment Committee (2010–2011) and the Ministerial Committee that drafted the Roadmap for Nigeria’s Solid Minerals Sector in 2016.
– Agbamuche-Mbu has been a long-serving national commissioner at INEC, and her elevation to acting chairman is being viewed as a move to ensure continuity and stability in the commission’s leadership.
© 2025 Naijaonpoint, a division of NOP Media Inc. Contact us via [email protected]