President Bola Tinubu has officially accepted the exit of Professor Mahmood Yakubu as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) following the completion of his second and final term.
Tinubu also honoured Yakubu with the national award of Commander of the Order of the Niger in recognition of his decade-long service to the nation.
The President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announced this in a statement on Tuesday, October 7, titled ‘President Tinubu Accepts INEC Chairman’s Departure, Bestows National Honour on Him.’
It read, “President Tinubu thanked Professor Yakubu for his services to the nation and his efforts to sustain Nigeria’s democracy, particularly through the organisation of free and fair elections throughout his two-term tenure.
“In recognition of Yakubu’s dedicated service to the nation, President Tinubu has bestowed on him the honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger.
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“President Tinubu also directed that Professor Yakubu should hand over to the most senior national commissioner, May Agbamuche-Mbu, who will direct the affairs of the commission until the completion of the process to appoint a successor.”
Appointed in November 2015 as INEC’s 14th chairman, Yakubu was reappointed in 2020 after Senate confirmation, serving a total of ten years.
During his tenure, he supervised the 2019 and 2023 general elections and introduced innovations such as the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.
In a letter dated October 3, 2025, Yakubu thanked Tinubu for granting him the opportunity to serve two terms.
Tinubu, in response, commended him for strengthening democratic governance and ensuring credible elections across his tenure.
With his exit, May Agbamuche-Mbu will assume leadership of INEC in an acting capacity pending the appointment of a substantive chairman.