PROFESSOR Mahmood Yakubu, on Tuesday, October 7, bowed out and handed over to May Agbamuche-Mbu, who is the oldest serving National Commissioner, as the acting National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), having completed his two-term tenure of 10 years.
Yakubu, who announced this at a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) at the INEC headquarters in Abuja, solicited support of INEC’s commissioners and directors for Agbamuche until the appointment of a substantive chairman.
President Bola Tinubu is expected to announce his choice of Yakubu’s successor soon, subject to a Senate confirmation.
Recall that Yakubu was first appointed to the position by the late former President, Muhammadu Buhari, in November 2015, six months after assuming office, and was reappointed in 2020 for a second tenure, making him the first to serve as for two terms.
Yakubu took over from Professor Attahiru Jega and oversaw the conduct of two presidential elections, in the 2019 and 2023, both won by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), as well as many other general and off-circle governorship, national and state Assemblies elections.
The former lecturer and professor of Political History and International Studies at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), executive secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Yakubu will be most remembered for the 2023 elections, particularly the presidential poll, over the infamous “technical glitch.”
He is, however, applauded for the introduction of several reforms and innovations into the electoral system during his tenure, as well as his as INEC boss, including the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), an online platform designed to promote transparency, as well as participation of the civil society in the electoral process.
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