Breaking: Agbamuche-Mbu takes over from Yakubu as Acting INEC Chair

By Omeiza Ajayi

After a decennary of steering Nigeria’s elections done sweeping reforms and integer innovations, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, connected Tuesday announced his resignation.

Yakubu, who has been astatine the helm since 2015, formally stepped down during the Commission’s quarterly gathering with Resident Electoral Commissioners RECs successful Abuja, describing the league arsenic his “last arsenic chairman.”

Citing Section 306 of the 1999 Constitution, Yakubu said the determination would let a creaseless modulation arsenic INEC braces for a engaged electoral calendar.

By statement of the National Commissioners, Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu, the astir elder commissioner, takes implicit successful acting capableness pending the assignment of a substantive chairman.

In his farewell remarks, Yakubu reflected connected his 10-year stewardship, pointing to INEC’s integer translation — from biometric elector registration and physics effect transmission to online information and monitoring systems.

“Together, we built a instauration for credible elections successful Africa’s largest democracy,” helium declared.

He acknowledged enactment from governmental parties, the National Peace Committee, civilian society, information agencies, the media, and particularly corps members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), whom helium described arsenic “the astir patriotic predetermination officials.”

The outgoing president besides unveiled 2 publications capturing his tenure: “Election Management successful Nigeria 2015–2025” and “Innovations successful Electoral Technology 2015–2025,” present disposable connected INEC’s website.

Yakubu leaves with large elections looming — including adjacent month’s Anambra governorship poll, the FCT Area Council ballot successful February 2026, and the Ekiti and Osun governorship contests aboriginal that year. Preparations for the 2027 wide elections, helium revealed, person already begun.

Ending connected a lighter note, Yakubu invited commissioners for a farewell photograph earlier officially handing implicit to Agbamuche-Mbu.

His exit marks the adjacent of what galore picture arsenic a transformative epoch for Nigeria’s electoral system.

The station Breaking: Agbamuche-Mbu takes implicit from Yakubu arsenic Acting INEC Chair appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.