President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the exit of Professor Mahmood Yakubu as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) following the completion of his second term in office.
Yakubu, who was first appointed in November 2015 as the 14th chairman of the commission, had his five-year tenure renewed in 2020, which has now ended upon the expiration of time.
In a statement on Tuesday, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, said Tinubu expressed gratitude to Yakubu for his “services to the nation and his efforts to sustain Nigeria’s democracy, particularly through the organisation of free and fair elections throughout his two-term tenure.”
Onanuga added that, in recognition of his contributions to the country, President Tinubu has conferred on Yakubu the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).
The statement further noted that Tinubu directed Yakubu to hand over the commission’s leadership to May Agbamuche-Mbu, the most senior national commissioner, who will act as INEC chair pending the appointment of a substantive head.
On Tuesday, Yakubu officially handed over to Agbamuche-Mbu as Acting Chairperson of the electoral body.
During his tenure, Yakubu presided over the conduct of two general elections—in 2019 and 2023—as well as multiple off-cycle governorship and legislative polls.
His leadership also ushered in key electoral innovations, including the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal, both designed to strengthen transparency and credibility in Nigeria’s electoral process.
