4 weeks ago
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By Omeiza Ajayi
On Tuesday, 7th October 2025, May Agbamuche-Mbu walked into the spotlight arsenic the Acting Chairman of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, carrying with her much than conscionable decades of ineligible experience.
She carried a communicative of grit, intelligence curiosity and a vocation marked by some nationalist work and backstage assemblage excellence.
Born successful Kano but hailed from Delta State, according to documents from INEC, May’s aboriginal travel began astatine St. Louis Secondary School earlier she made her mode to the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), wherever she earned her Law grade successful 1984.
A twelvemonth later, she was called to the Nigerian Bar, mounting the signifier for what would go an illustrious ineligible career. But May’s ambitions stretched beyond Nigeria’s borders.
She pursued further grooming astatine the College of Law, London, wherever she qualified arsenic a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales, and aboriginal earned an LLM successful Commercial and Corporate Law from Queen Mary and Westfield College.
Two postgraduate programmes successful International Dispute Resolution and International Business Law would further cement her arsenic a global-minded professional.
Her expertise spans Alternative Dispute Resolution, a tract successful which she has distinguished herself arsenic a subordinate of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK), Nigeria branch, wherever she erstwhile served arsenic Secretary.
These credentials positioned her arsenic much than conscionable a lawyer, but arsenic a problem-solver adept astatine navigating the analyzable intersections of law, commerce, and governance.
May’s foray into nationalist work has been arsenic impactful. Between 2010 and 2011, she was the sole solicitor connected the Presidential Projects Assessment Committee PPAC, scrutinising unfinished nationalist projects crossed Nigeria.
In 2016, she was tapped to service connected a Ministerial Committee tasked with charting a caller roadmap for the coagulated minerals assemblage — a relation that underscored her estimation arsenic a trusted technocrat.
Beyond government, May built a beardown illustration successful ineligible signifier and the media. She served arsenic Managing Partner of Norfolk Partners, a Lagos-based firm, portion simultaneously editing THISDAY Lawyer, a wide followed play ineligible pullout.
Between 2014 and 2016, her “Legal Eagle” file produced 120 thought-provoking editorials that offered crisp ineligible investigation and fearless advocacy connected nationalist and planetary issues. Her dependable became 1 of authority, pushing conversations astir law, justice, and governance.
This blend of law, nationalist service, and media gave May a unsocial borderline erstwhile she was appointed arsenic a National Commissioner of INEC successful 2016.
The station May Agbamuche-Mbu: The lawyer who broke barriers to pb INEC appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.
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