With the tenure of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, set to expire in October 2025, concerns are mounting over the credibility of the process for appointing his successor.
A chieftain of The Patriots and former Permanent Secretary in the Federal Civil Service, Dr Akin Fapounda, in an interview with Nigerian Tribune, has expressed pessimism that the existing arrangement would produce a transparent and widely accepted INEC chairman.
Under the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the President has the power to nominate the INEC chairman, with the appointment requiring confirmation by the National Assembly.
Despite this constitutional framework, Fapounda argued that the process has historically lacked independence, raising doubts about whether Nigerians can expect a marked improvement in the next appointment.
Yakubu, who was appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 and reappointed for a second term in 2020, has served as INEC chairman for 10 years. During his tenure, he presided over two general elections—in 2019 and 2023.
Fapounda, in an interview with Nigerian Tribune, said, “Honestly, I don’t know what to think if the present system subsists for the 2027 elections. No matter the extent of tinkering, the result will be the same.
“My longstanding position is to abolish INEC as a body at the federal level. Let’s have six geopolitical zones. Let them be treated equally. Let each of them produce equal number of legislators, say 30 members each, making 180 altogether.
“The zones can hold their elections. They can nominate some members as part of the 30. The zonal constitution shall prescribe their mechanism of electing their respective legislators. This system will nullify the use of census figures, as each zone will be equal regardless of population figures. There would be no INEC at Abuja. There would be no glitch.”
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