Amanze Chinonye
President Tinubu has officially accepted the departure of Professor Mahmood Yakubu as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) following the expiration of his second term in office.
In a statement released on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, President Tinubu commended Yakubu for his decade-long service and contributions to strengthening Nigeria’s democracy.
Yakubu, who first assumed office in November 2015 under late former President Buhari, became the first INEC chairman in Nigeria’s history to serve two full consecutive terms.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelHis leadership spanned three general elections 2015, 2019, and 2023 as well as several off-cycle polls that helped shape the nation’s democratic process.
During his tenure, Yakubu introduced significant electoral innovations, including the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), the INEC Results Viewing (IreV) portal, and reforms in voter registration and election logistics aimed at enhancing transparency and public confidence in the electoral system.
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However, INEC under his watch also faced criticism over election delays, logistical challenges, occasional legal controversies, and concerns about transparency in certain elections, particularly following the 2023 general polls. Despite these challenges, Yakubu maintained that the commission worked within legal and operational constraints to deliver credible elections.
In recognition of his service, President Tinubu has conferred on Yakubu the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).
The President has also directed that May Agbamuche Mbu, the most senior National Commissioner, should take charge of INEC’s affairs in an acting capacity pending the appointment of a substantive chairman.
In a letter dated October 3, 2025, Professor Yakubu expressed gratitude to the President for the opportunity to serve, describing his time at INEC as “a privilege and profound responsibility.”
A distinguished academic and public administrator, Yakubu holds degrees from Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Cambridge, and Oxford, and previously served as Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) before his appointment to INEC.
His exit marks the end of one of the longest and most eventful leadership tenures in INEC’s history, a decade defined by major electoral reforms, technological innovations, and enduring debates over the credibility of Nigeria’s democratic process.
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