1 month ago
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The hunt for the caller president of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced arsenic Mahmmod Yakubu, the incumbent, has resigned.
Yakubu, whose tenure expired connected December 9, 2025, announced his departure during Tuesday’s gathering of INEC with states’ Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) astatine the commission’s office successful Abuja.
Consequently, the longest-serving National Commissioner successful the commission, May Agbamuche-Mbu, assumed the presumption of acting president of INEC, pending the assignment of a substantive caput of the electoral body.
LEADERSHIP reports that Yakubu, the longest-serving president of the electoral body, was archetypal appointed connected November 9, 2015, for a five-year word of bureau and was reappointed connected November 9, 2020, by the then-President Muhammadu Buhari.
After Senate confirmation, helium assumed work for a 2nd five-year word connected December 9, 2020, becoming the archetypal president of the National Election Management Body successful Nigeria to service for 2 consecutive terms.
With his exit, the appointing authority—the presidency—would embark connected the hunt for his replacement, who would behaviour the 2027 wide elections.
There are permutations that, hence, each the geopolitical zones person held the bureau but the South West and North Central, and the caller INEC president is apt to look from immoderate of the regions.
Announcing his exit, Yakubu said helium made the determination and conveyed it arsenic provided by Sections 306 (1) and (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
“Accordingly, and knowing the enormity of the challenges ahead, having been privileged to service the Commission for 10 years with lone a fewer much weeks to serve, I person made a determination and conveyed the aforesaid arsenic provided by Sec 306 (1) and (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
“In the interim, I americium handing it implicit to 1 of the astir elder National Commissioners by the day of appointment. Following consultation with different National Commissioners, Mrs May Agbamuche-Mbu volition service successful an acting capableness pending the assignment of a substantive Chairman of the Commission.
“I anticipation this volition spend the appointing authorities capable clip to name a caller Chairman. It volition besides alteration the caller Chairman to settee down rapidly to conducting elections and electoral activities successful Africa’s astir demographically and logistically analyzable elections,” helium said.
Yakubu expressed profound appreciation to the members of the Commission and RECs for their fantabulous moving relations.
“Since 2015, I person worked with 24 National Commissioners and 67 RECs, arsenic good arsenic with the unit of the Commission. Those progressive successful elections oregon vastly knowledgeable astir predetermination absorption recognize what the behaviour of elections entails. I volition everlastingly cherish the enactment of successive Secretaries and unit of the Commission nationwide.
“Together, we innovated and managed the Commission’s tremendous responsibilities, sometimes connected the verge of breaking down. I besides enjoyed tremendous enactment and goodwill from members of the National Assembly, peculiarly successive Chairmen and Members of the Committees connected Electoral Matters.
“So excessively from governmental parties, the National Peace Committee nether our respected erstwhile Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar GCFR, friends from civilian society, the media and the labour unions. I besides admit the improvement partners’ support. The information agencies person exceptionally secured the environment, without which elections would beryllium intolerable successful immoderate locations.
“I besides convey my colleagues successful the assemblage strategy who played captious roles successful the assorted stages of elections. I indispensable besides admit the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), without whose participation, the absorption of elections astatine the polling portion level would beryllium a nightmare. Young Nigerians serving successful the NYSC are among the astir educated, patriotic, and knowledgeable predetermination officials I person worked with.
“I besides convey my household for their patience and enactment passim the past 10 years. Above all, I convey Nigerians for their comments and criticisms, which encouraged alternatively than discouraged america to persevere.
“Today, we are presenting 2 books to the public. The first, entitled Election Management successful Nigeria, 2015-2025, is simply a compendium of each the activities carried retired successful the past 10 years nether my watch.
“The 2nd book, Innovations successful Electoral Technology 2015 – 2025, much specifically dwells connected the caller technologies introduced by the Commission successful the past decade. The 2 publications person already been uploaded to our website for nationalist access,” the prof of past added.
Giving a little relationship of his stewardship, Yakubu said, “Over the yea...
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