Mahmood Yakubu hands over to May Agbamuche as acting INEC chairman

By Isaac Joseph Inyang

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has officially handed over to May Agbamuche-Mbu, who now assumes office as the Acting National Chairman of the Commission.

The handover took place at the INEC Headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, following Professor Yakubu’s commencement of his pre-retirement leave ahead of the expiration of his second and final five-year term in November 2025.

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According to INEC, the transition is in line with the Commission’s internal administrative procedure, which mandates that the most senior National Commissioner assumes the role of Acting Chairman whenever the substantive head proceeds on leave or vacates office.

Agbamuche-Mbu, who represents Delta State on the Commission, also serves as the Chairperson of INEC’s Legal Services, Clearance, and Complaints Committee.

Yakubu, who was first appointed as INEC Chairman in November 2015 and reappointed in 2020, oversaw two general elections 2019 and 2023 and several off-cycle governorship and legislative elections across the country.

During the handover, the outgoing Chairman thanked INEC staff and stakeholders for their cooperation throughout his tenure. He urged continued support for the Commission’s leadership to maintain institutional stability.

Meanwhile, the handover signals the beginning of a leadership transition period ahead of the appointment of a new substantive chairman by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which will require Senate confirmation in accordance with constitutional provisions.

May Agbamuche-Mbu’s assumption of duty makes her the first woman in nearly a decade to lead the Commission, even if in an acting capacity.