The outgoing Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mahmood Yakubu, has explained that his decision to bow out of office was to allow the appointment of a new helmsman to take charge of Nigeria’s electoral body.
Naijaonpoint had earlier reported that Yakubu officially handed over on Tuesday to a 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 said stepping aside became necessary given the enormous task ahead for INEC, especially as the country prepares for fresh electoral activities.
He said, “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.
“In the interim, I am handing over to one of the most senior national commissioners by date of appointment. Following consultation with other national commissioners, Ms May Agbamuche-Mbu will serve in acting capacity pending the appointment of a substantive chairman of the commission.
“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.”
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.
“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, the labour unions, and development partners, adding, “Above all, I thank Nigerians for their comments as well as criticisms which encouraged rather than discouraged us to persevere.”
Reviewing his tenure, Yakubu highlighted several reforms under his watch, including the consolidation of the biometric register of voters and the digitisation of many of INEC’s manual processes.
These, he said, 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 use of the Election Monitoring and Support Centre.
Yakubu admitted that while progress had been made, the task of strengthening Nigeria’s electoral system was far from over.
He disclosed that preparations were ongoing for the Anambra governorship election in November, the FCT Area Council election, and the Ekiti and Osun polls in 2026.
Beyond off-cycle polls, he said INEC had already begun groundwork for the 2027 general elections, pending the passage of a new Electoral Act.
“The bill is 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,” he noted.
He added that INEC would also need to clean up the voters’ register, review polling unit locations, manage party primaries, and tackle the complex logistics of election materials.
“Election logistics involving the procurement, production and transportation of huge quantities of materials by road, by air and by sea are monumental undertakings,” Yakubu said.
In her brief response, the acting INEC chairman, Agbamuche-Mbu, commended Yakubu for setting a high record during his tenure as the commission’s chairman.
She said, “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.
“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 do its best to maintain and uphold the standards he had set.
“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 said.
The acting chairman also pledged to work with the stakeholders to ensure the success and growth of the commission.
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