![INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu. [PHOTO CREDIT: Official Website of INEC]](https://crediblenewsng.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/images-25.jpeg)
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has officially confirmed that his tenure as Nigeria’s electoral chief will conclude later this year.
Yakubu made the announcement while addressing colleagues at the Extraordinary General Assembly of the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions, ECONEC, held in Banjul, The Gambia, on Thursday.
He noted that this would be his final appearance at an ECONEC meeting in his capacity as INEC Chairman, marking the end of his second and final term in office.
Appointed on November 9, 2015, by former President Muhammadu Buhari, Yakubu was reappointed for a second term in 2020.
During his tenure, he presided over the contentious 2019 and 2023 general elections.
In his speech, Yakubu expressed gratitude for the collaboration and support received from fellow ECOWAS electoral bodies.
He underscored the importance of upholding electoral integrity and called for continued unity and cooperation among election management bodies in West Africa to strengthen democratic governance in the region.
His confirmation follows days of online speculation suggesting he had been removed from office by President Bola Tinubu—a claim swiftly denied by the presidency.
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The rumours intensified after INEC posted on social media that National Commissioner Sam Olumekun, referred to in the post as the “acting chairman,” hosted a high-level Labour Party delegation led by Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti.
This prompted further assumptions that Yakubu had been replaced. However, Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, clarified that Olumekun was only acting in Yakubu’s absence while he attended the ECONEC meeting in The Gambia.
While in Banjul, Yakubu reflected on his years of service and the work accomplished by ECONEC in promoting democratic values.
He commended the contributions of past and present members and expressed concern over the democratic backsliding in four West African countries.
Nonetheless, he remained optimistic that these nations would eventually return to democratic rule.
His remarks were well received by fellow EMB leaders, who acknowledged ECONEC’s crucial role in fostering democracy and political stability across the region.
Crediblenewng.com
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