May Agbamuche-Mbu, a National Commissioner at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has assumed office as the acting Chairman of the Commission.
Her appointment followed the formal handover of responsibilities by Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who is proceeding on terminal leave.
The transition was officially announced on Tuesday during a stakeholders’ meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners held at the INEC headquarters in Abuja.
Addressing the meeting, Yakubu explained that his decision to step down was in line with Section 306, Subsections 1 and 2 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
“In recognition of the significant challenges ahead, and having had the honour of serving the Commission for the past 10 years, with only a few weeks remaining in my tenure. I have made a decision.
“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, 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 quickly settle down to the task of conducting elections and electoral activities in Africa’s most demographically and logistically complex environment,” Yakubu said.
He noted that since 2015, he had worked with 24 national commissioners and 67 resident electoral commissioners, alongside INEC staff across the country. He described their support as invaluable to election management in Nigeria.
Yakubu expressed appreciation to colleagues, civil society groups, development partners, and Nigerians for their support and constructive criticism during his tenure.
He also commended members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), describing them as “among the most educated and most patriotic and also most knowledgeable election officials I have worked with. Above all, I thank Nigerians for their comments as well as criticisms, which encouraged rather than discouraged us to persevere.”
As part of his handover, Yakubu presented two publications chronicling INEC’s activities under his leadership: Election Management in Nigeria 2015–2025 and Innovations in Electoral Technology 2015–2025.
“All that remains at this point is for me to pray that God will continue to bless our country and our democracy,” he said.
Yakubu then signed and presented his official handing-over notes to Agbamuche-Mbu before formally exiting office.
Before his departure, the outgoing chairman highlighted INEC’s preparations for upcoming elections, including the Anambra governorship poll scheduled for next month, the Federal Capital Territory Area Council election in February 2026, the Ekiti governorship election in June 2026, and the Osun governorship election in August 2026.
He further confirmed that preparations had already commenced for the 2027 general elections, noting that the Commission was awaiting the passage of a new Electoral Act by the National Assembly.
“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,” he stated.
Yakubu outlined some of the key challenges INEC had faced, including insecurity, natural disasters such as flooding, and the framework for voting by internally displaced persons.
He stressed that despite these hurdles, the Commission achieved major progress by consolidating the biometric voters’ register and transitioning from manual processes to digital platforms and applications.
He listed innovations such as digital tools for locating election facilities, virtual training, monitoring of political party finances, and the Election Monitoring and Support Centre.
“Indeed, we have made tremendous progress, but a lot more needs to be done,” Yakubu concluded.
Born in May 1962, Mahmood Yakubu previously served as Executive Secretary of the Education Trust Fund before his appointment as INEC chairman by former President Muhammadu Buhari on October 21, 2015, following Senate confirmation. He assumed office on November 9, 2015, succeeding Professor Attahiru Jega.
In 2020, he was reappointed by Buhari for a second five-year term — making him the first INEC chairman in Nigeria’s history to be reappointed.
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