Tinubu Begins Search for Successor to INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu

President Tinubu has begun the search for successor to INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu.

NewsOnline Nigeria reports that President Bola Tinubu has begun consultations to find a successor for Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the current Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), whose tenure ends in November 2025 after serving two consecutive terms.

Sources indicate that several names are already under consideration, including Sam Olugbadebo Olumekun, former Lagos Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC); Moses Ogbe, also a former REC; and Kenneth Ukeagu, a billionaire INEC procurement director recently elevated to National Commissioner.

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Tinubu is said to be weighing his decision carefully, mindful of past controversies. Political observers recall the backlash that followed former President Muhammadu Buhari’s appointment of Amina Zakari as acting INEC chair in 2015 before Yakubu was eventually confirmed.

According to the Constitution, the President must appoint the INEC Chairman in consultation with the National Council of State, and the appointment must be confirmed by the Senate.

Civil society organisations have called on Tinubu to ensure a transparent and credible selection process, warning that the independence of the electoral body is critical ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Meanwhile, opposition parties such as the Labour Party (LP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have cautioned against attempts by political actors to influence the process, saying the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral system is at stake.

Yakubu, who assumed office in October 2015, has overseen two general elections (2019 and 2023), along with several off-cycle governorship polls during his tenure.