When will Tinubu appoint new INEC chairman? Presidency gives update
- President Bola Tinubu has disclosed when the new INEC chairman will be appointed following the expiration of Mahmood Yakubu's second term in office
- The president made the announcement while accepting the departure of Yakubu from the commission on Tuesday, October 8
- Tinubu appreciated Yakubu for conducting free and fair elections in Nigeria and conferred on him the national honour of CON
President Bola Tinubu has said that a new national chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will be announced once the process of appointment is completed.
Tinubu made this known in a statement on Tuesday, October 7, while accepting the departure of Mahmood Yakubu, the immediate past chairman of the commission, from the electoral body, following the expiration of his second term tenure.
Source: Twitter
Tinubu directs Yakubu to hand over
The statement, which was signed by Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu's special adviser on information and strategy, reads in part:
"President Tinubu also directed that Professor Yakubu should hand over to the most senior national commissioner, May Agbamuche-Mbu, who will direct the affairs of the commission until the completion of the process to appoint a successor."
Tinubu, while accepting the departure of the former INEC chairman, conferred the honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger(CON), which was in recognition of Yakubu's dedication to the service of Nigeria.
According to the presidency, Tinubu thanked the former INEC boss for his service to the country and his efforts to sustain the democracy of Nigeria, "particularly through the organisation of free and fair elections throughout his two-term tenure.
See the full statement of the presidency here:
Nigeria debates appointment new INEC chairman
Some Nigerians have started talking about Yakubu's successor as far back as January 2025. Some have based their arguments on the southern and northern disparity, while some based theirs on regions.
By analysis, only two Northerners have become the chairman of Nigeria's electoral body in the history of the commission, and they have held the position in the last 15 years. However, by region, only the southwest and north-central have never produced an electoral chairman since the commission was established in 1964.
Another stronger argument is who should appoint the next INEC chairman. Many are of the view that the appointment of the INEC chairman should not be the responsibility of the president, particularly when President Tinubu will be running in the 2027 election.
Omotayo Yusuf, a political analyst, in an exclusive interview with Legit.ng, explained that the argument is valid and that it has been recurring each time there was a need to appoint a new INEC chairman.
His statement reads:
"I think it's not surprising this controversy comes up each time a new INEC chairman is about to be appointed, but I think it is valid. The issue political analysts are making is that if I'm correct, there should be other ways through which an INEC Chairman should be appointed, and it should not be the sole prerogative or responsibility of a sitting president."
Source: Twitter
Tinubu asks Senate to approve new appointee
Legit.ng earlier reported that President Bola Tinubu has forwarded the names of Abdullahi Ramat to the Senate for approval as the chairman and CEO of the NERC.
The announcement was made by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during plenary on Tuesday, October 7.
Tinubu's appointment as the chairman of the NERC has started generating reactions from some Nigerians and supporters of the new appointee.
Source: Legit.ng
