Professor Mahmood Yakubu has explained that his decision to step down as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission was aimed at creating room for the appointment of a new leader for the commission.
The News Agency of Nigeria reported that Yakubu officially handed over to National Commissioner Ms. May Agbamuche-Mbu as acting chairman on Tuesday. The brief handover ceremony took place during INEC’s regular consultative meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
Speaking on his decision, Yakubu said it would allow the incoming chairman to “quickly settle down to the task of conducting elections and electoral activities.”
He also noted that having served the commission for 10 years, he was aware of the challenges that lie ahead.
“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 Agbamuchembu 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,” he said.
Yakubu expressed gratitude to INEC members and RECs for their support over the years. He recalled that since 2015, he had worked with 24 national commissioners and 67 RECs, and that the cooperation of secretaries and staff nationwide had been invaluable.
“Together, we innovated and managed the commission’s enormous responsibilities, sometimes on the verge of breaking down,” he said.
He also thanked the National Assembly, political parties, the National Peace Committee, civil society, the media, labour unions, security agencies, the National Youth Service Corps, and other stakeholders for their support.
“Above all, I thank Nigerians for their comments as well as criticisms which encouraged rather than discouraged us to persevere,” he added.
Reflecting on his tenure, Yakubu noted the commission’s achievements, including the consolidation of the biometric voters’ register and the introduction of digital platforms to replace many manual processes.
“These, according to him, include the nomination of candidates, submission of polling and collation agents by political parties, accreditation of national and international observers, and the media for elections, voter accreditation and result management.”
He further highlighted technological innovations introduced with development partners’ support, such as the easy location of election facilities, management of collation and returning officers, virtual training of electoral staff, political party finance management and audits, and the overall monitoring of elections through the Election Monitoring and Support Centre.
Yakubu emphasized that while significant progress had been made, much work remained, especially with upcoming elections: the Anambra governorship in November, the FCT Area Council elections, and the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections in 2026.
He also noted preparations were already underway for key activities of the 2027 general elections, pending the enactment 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. Beyond these reviews, the commission needs to further clean up the voters’ register, review the locations of some of the polling units, and allotment of voters to them. The management of party primaries is another major area of activity. You may recall that for the last general election in 2023, the Commission processed the nomination of over 20,000 candidates. Furthermore, election logistics involving the procurement, production and transportation of huge quantities of materials by road, by air and by sea are monumental undertakings,” he said.
In her response, acting INEC chairman Agbamuche-Mbu commended Yakubu’s tenure.
“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,” she said.
Agbamuche-Mbu assured that the commission would maintain the standards set by Yakubu, pledging to uphold INEC’s integrity and work professionally and in unity with commissioners, RECs, directors, and staff nationwide.
She also promised to collaborate with stakeholders to ensure the commission’s continued success and growth.
The handover ceremony included the presentation of two books: Election Management in Nigeria 2015-2025, a compendium of activities under Yakubu’s leadership, and Electoral Technology 2015-2025. Yakubu then signed and officially handed over the notes to Agbamuche-Mbu.
