The tenure of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has ended following his official handover to Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu, one of the most senior National Commissioners, as the Acting Chairman of the Commission.
ThelensNG reports that Prof. Yakubu was appointed by the late former President Muhammadu Buhari in October 2015.
He handed over the leadership during the 2025 Third Regular Quarterly Consultative Meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs), held at the INEC Conference Room in Abuja on Tuesday, October 7, 2025.
In his valedictory speech, Yakubu emphasised the importance of the meeting amid the nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), which began seven weeks ago.
“Since then, the Commission has been publishing weekly figures of the exercise with detailed breakdown by States of the Federation, gender, age, occupation and disability. The latest figures published yesterday show that 6,856,979 Nigerians commenced their registration online (the pre-registration option) while 1,216,048 completed the process (the physical or in-person option). The exercise will continue until August 2026 when it will be suspended not later than 90 days before the date fixed for the general election, as provided by law.
“As you are aware, there are a number of forthcoming elections. The preparations for some of them are either at advanced or concluding stages. The Anambra State Governorship election is holding next month, followed by Area Council election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in February 2026, the Ekiti State Governorship election in June 2026, and the Osun State Governorship election in August 2026.
“In addition to these off-cycle elections, we have already commenced preparations for some of the major activities for the 2027 General Election, while awaiting 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,” he stated.
Yakubu noted that beyond these reviews, the Commission needs to further clean-up the voters’ register, review the locations of some polling units, and reallocate voters accordingly.
He disclosed that the management of party primaries was another major area of activity, recalling that for the 2023 general elections, the Commission processed the nomination of 20,000 candidates.
“Furthermore, election logistics involving the procurement, production and transportation of huge quantities of materials by road, air and sea are a monumental undertaking. So too is the recruitment and training of election officials, voter education and engagement with stakeholders.
“The prevailing insecurity and natural emergencies such as floods in some parts of the country have dislocated many citizens who must be given the opportunity to exercise their franchise. Doing so may require a review of our existing framework for voting by Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).”
The outgoing Chairman said that the Commission had made significant progress in addressing challenges and introducing numerous innovations over the years, such as consolidating the biometric register of voters and replacing many of the electoral body’s manual processes with digital platforms and applications.
He highlighted innovations including the nomination of candidates, submission of polling and collation agents by political parties, accreditation of national and international observers and media for elections, voter accreditation, and result management.
Yakubu affirmed that, with the support of development partners, INEC introduced various technologies to improve diverse aspects of election management, such as easy location of election facilities, management of collation and returning officers, virtual training of electoral staff, management of political parties’ finances and audits, and the overall monitoring of elections using the Election Monitoring and Support Centre (EMSC).
He continued: “Accordingly, and knowing the enormity of the challenges ahead having been privileged to serve the Commission for ten years with only a few more weeks to serve, I have taken a decision and conveyed same as provided by Sec. 306 (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, Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu will serve in an 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 settle down quickly to the task of conducting elections and electoral activities in Africa’s most demographically and logistically complex elections.”
He expressed gratitude to members of the Commission and the RECs for the excellent working relationships they shared, “Since 2015, I have worked with 24 National Commissioners and 67 RECs. So also to the staff of the Commission. Those involved in elections or vastly knowledgeable about election management understand what the conduct of elections entails. I will forever cherish the support of successive Secretaries and staff of the Commission nationwide.
“Together, we innovated and managed the Commission’s enormous responsibilities, sometimes on the verge of breaking down. I also enjoyed tremendous support and goodwill from members of the National Assembly, particularly successive Chairmen and Members of the Committees on Electoral Matters. So too from political parties, the National Peace Committee under our respected former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar GCFR, friends from civil society, the media and the labour unions.”
Yakubu also appreciated development partners for their support, and acknowledged the critical role of security agencies in ensuring a safe environment, without which conducting elections in some areas would have been impossible.
He further thanked his colleagues in the university system, who played key roles at the various stages of elections, and appreciated the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) for their vital contributions at the polling unit level.
“Young Nigerians serving in the NYSC are among the most educated patriotic and knowledgeable election officials I worked with. I also thank my family for their patience and support throughout the last ten years. Above all, I thank Nigerians for their comments as well as criticisms which encouraged rather than discouraged us to persevere,” he added.
