President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has praised Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the immediate past Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), describing the elections he conducted during his tenure as free and fair.
Tinubu made the remark in his official statement responding to Yakubu’s exit from office.
The former INEC Chairman handed over to the most senior National Commissioner, Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu, on Tuesday, marking the end of his tenure. Yakubu had urged his former colleagues at the commission to extend their cooperation to Agbamuche-Mbu.
In a statement issued on behalf of the President by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu said he accepted Yakubu’s departure following the expiration of his second term.
“President Tinubu thanked Professor Yakubu for his services to the nation and his efforts to sustain Nigeria’s democracy, particularly through the organisation of free and fair elections throughout his two-term tenure,” the statement read.
The statement added that, in recognition of Yakubu’s dedicated service, the President has bestowed on him the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).
Yakubu, who was first appointed as INEC Chairman in November 2015, served two consecutive five-year terms after being reappointed in 2020.
Reacting to the commendation, Yakubu thanked President Tinubu for the opportunity to serve the nation, saying he was honoured to have overseen Nigeria’s electoral process for nearly a decade.
However, reactions to Yakubu’s time in office have remained divided. While some praised his administration for reforms in the electoral system, others criticised his handling of the 2023 general elections.
In a book published earlier this year, former President Olusegun Obasanjo harshly assessed Yakubu’s performance.
“No wonder politicians do not put much confidence in election which the INEC of Professor Mahmood Yakubu polluted and grossly undermined to make a charade,” Obasanjo wrote.
“Most politicians believe in the will of the tribunal judges, court of appeal judges and Supreme Court judges. No matter what the will of the people may be, the Chairman of INEC since after the 2015 election had made his will greater and more important than the will of the people.”