…Lobbying intensifies as electoral chief’s tenure winds down
What was meant to be a quiet exit for Professor Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has turned into a high-stakes political calculation at the presidency.
Yakubu, who has served two unprecedented terms since his appointment in 2015 by former President Muhammadu Buhari, had cleared his desk and informed close associates of his plan to step aside in June. He was even hosted to a discreet send-forth dinner at the Continental Hotel, Abuja, on June 15, as he prepared to hand over to one of the senior national commissioners and embark on a three-month terminal leave.
But President Bola Tinubu intervened, directing him to remain in office until his tenure formally ends on November 9, 2025. The decision, insiders say, is tied to the politics of succession at the nation’s electoral umpire, where control over the appointment of Yakubu’s successor has become a subject of intense lobbying.
For weeks, INEC staff confirmed, Yakubu’s office was stripped bare, with piles of suitcases moved out. At one point, he considered handing over to May Agbamuche-Mbu, the most senior national commissioner, which would have made her the first woman to head the commission, even if in acting capacity. But the idea was shelved to avoid leaving the institution without clear presidential direction.
The situation echoes 2015, when Attahiru Jega bowed out at the end of his tenure and briefly handed over to Amina Zakari before Buhari named Yakubu as substantive chairman months later.
Yakubu’s initial plan to exit early, according to associates, was to give Tinubu time to appoint a successor well before the 2027 election cycle gains momentum. His current tenure expires just a day after the November 8 Anambra governorship election — meaning his departure could overlap with vote collation.
Now, with lobbying in full swing, names are being pushed and traded in political corridors as Tinubu weighs his options. The INEC chairmanship, central to Nigeria’s democratic process, has become one of the most closely watched appointments of his administration.
For now, Yakubu remains in office — but the real political drama is over who takes over from him, and whether Tinubu will seek a loyalist or a compromise figure acceptable to wider political interests. /Extra report by The Cable