The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has formally handed over the reins of leadership to May Agbamuche, who now assumes office as the Acting National Chairman of the commission.
Agbamuche, the longest-serving National Commissioner at INEC, took over the role following a brief handover ceremony on Tuesday during a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) held at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
During the session, Professor Yakubu urged all national commissioners and directors within the commission to extend their full cooperation and support to Agbamuche as she steers the affairs of INEC pending the appointment of a substantive chairman.
Professor Yakubu’s leadership of INEC began on October 21, 2015, when he was appointed by then-President Muhammadu Buhari.
He succeeded Amina Bala Zakari, who had briefly served in an acting capacity after the tenure of Professor Attahiru Jega.
Following his confirmation by the Senate, Yakubu officially took the oath of office in November 2015, alongside several national commissioners.
In October 2020, Buhari reappointed him for a second term, making him the first INEC chairman to be reappointed since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999.