New INEC chair for Council of State’s ‘preview’ today

By Jide Ajani, General Editor

LAGOS — Barring immoderate last-minute change, President Bola Tinubu whitethorn contiguous his nominee for the station of the president of the National Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, to the National Council of State, contiguous astatine Aso Rock, Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The tenure of Professor Mahmood Yakubu arsenic INEC president ends adjacent month, and connected Tuesday, October 7, 2025, helium handed implicit to the astir elder National Commissioner, Dame May Agbamuche-Mbu.

Of the 3 nominees pencilled down to regenerate Yakubu, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan “came highly recommended” and would beryllium announced aft the Council of State has been briefed.

A presidency root told Vanguard that Professor Amupitan, who hails from Kogi State (North Central), has already “undergone information screening.”

He is presently the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) astatine the University of Jos.

Born connected April 25, 1967, successful Aiyetoro-Gbede, Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, Amupitan is simply a Professor of Law, with specialisation and acquisition successful Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance, Corporate Law and Privatisation Law and has taught successful the assemblage for years.

Tinubu’s determination volition beryllium a wide departure from what his predecessor, precocious President Muhammadu Buhari, did during his eight-year tenure.

The four-man quorum expected astatine INEC was not formed until 4 months later, leaving the committee successful limbo.

INEC appointments

The assignment of members to INEC is chiefly governed by Section 153(1) and the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution, arsenic amended.

It establishes the committee and outlines its composition.

Appointments are made by the President, with confirmation by the Senate, and indispensable travel owed consultation with the National Council of State.

The Constitution and the Electoral Act specify qualifications and non-partisanship required for appointed members.

However, immoderate of the appointments already made by President Tinubu into INEC did not bask the payment of the constitutionally-required consultation with the Council of State, arsenic a fig of National Commissioners and Resident Electoral Commissioners, RECs, person already been appointed, confirmed by the Senate and sworn-in.

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, had called retired President Tinubu connected the assignment of astatine slightest 3 alleged All Progressives Congress, APC, members into the enactment of INEC.

Aso Rock sources told Vanguard that President Tinubu took much than a casual involvement successful the process starring up to the prime of the caller INEC chairman.

At property time, however, determination were conflicting signals that the president whitethorn tarry with the expected presumption of his choice, today.

Avoiding erstwhile President Buhari’s error

In the lack of immoderate alteration successful plans, President Tinubu volition beryllium avoiding the unnecessary furore that his predecesor generated astatine the expiration of the tenure of Professor Attahiru Jega successful 2015, if helium is capable to name a substantive president earlier adjacent month, since the process of mounting a day for the gathering of the National Council of State is not easy.

On Tuesday, June 30, 2015, thing precise funny but strangely indecipherable, happened erstwhile past President Buhari, threw INEC into a cesspit of needless controversy, by not appointing a substantive nationalist president for INEC until Jega’s tenure ended.

Acting successful enactment with statutes and bid of seniority, Jega had handed implicit to Ambassador Ahmed Wali to caput and supervise the activities of the committee until a substantive president was appointed “in consultation with the Council of State” – arsenic stated by the constitution.

However, wrong 24 hours, Buhari, who had conscionable been sworn-in hardly 36 hours earlier, overruled Jega and appointed a familial, nay filial relation, Mrs Amina Bala Zakari, arsenic acting caput of INEC.
At the time, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mr Danladi Kifasi, who conveyed the assignment successful a letter, stated that the assignment took effect from June 30, 2015, until the assignment of a substantive chairm...