New INEC Chairman May Emerge This Week
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is set to name the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after the Council of State meeting in Abuja on Thursday, October 9, 2025, 2025 after presenting the list of nominees for the coveted number one electoral umpire position.
Former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, state governors and other members of the Council of State are expected to advise Tinubu on the next INEC chair.
President Tinubu had, on Tuesday, formally accepted Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s departure as NEC Chairman following the expiration of his second and final tenure.
Yakubu handed over to May Agbamuche-Mbu, a seasoned legal expert, who has assumed the role of Acting Chairman, pending the appointment of a substantive successor.
In recognition of his service, the President conferred upon the ex-INEC boss the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement on Tuesday, disclosed that Tinubu thanked the outgoing INEC boss for his services to the nation.
The statement titled “President Tinubu Accepts INEC Chairman’s Departure, Bestows National Honour on Him,” read: “President Tinubu thanked Professor 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.
“In recognition of Yakubu’s dedicated service to the nation, President Tinubu has bestowed on him the honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger.
“President Tinubu also directed that Professor Yakubu should hand over to the most senior National Commissioner, May Agbamuche-Mbu, who will direct the affairs of the commission until the completion of the process to appoint a successor.”
In a letter dated October 3, 2025, Yakubu expressed gratitude to the President for the privilege of overseeing the commission for two terms.
Tinubu, in turn, thanked him for sustaining Nigeria’s democracy and conducting elections he described as “free and fair” across his tenure.
Yakubu was first appointed in November 2015 as INEC’s 14th chairman for a five-year term. Following Senate confirmation, he was reappointed in 2020 for another five years, now concluded.
