Lawyer and public affairs commentator, Maxwell Opara, has cautioned that Nigeria may end up with a worse Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman than Professor Mahmood Yakubu if the Electoral Act remains unreviewed.
Speaking on Arise Television’s News Day on Wednesday, the 8th of October, 2025, Opara described Yakubu as “the worst not just in Nigeria’s history but in the entire world.”
His remarks followed reports that Professor Yakubu handed over to May Agbamuche, the oldest serving National Commissioner, who now serves as the Acting INEC Chairman. Yakubu’s handover took place during a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) on Tuesday, the 7th of October, 2025.
Opara accused the former INEC boss of colluding with politicians and the ruling elite against the will of the people.
According to him, “it was during Yakubu’s time in office that somebody who never participated in a primary election became the candidate for the political party.”
“I don’t know where to start. So the point I’m making generally is that Professor Mahmood failed this country,” he added.
“He brought in a very bad precedent that the person that is coming… the person that is coming may be worse than him.
“I’m saying that the person may be worse than him because unless we amend this Electoral Act and correct all those irregularities that we have seen…, because judiciary also assisted him in those irregularities, where they say that a policy made by an institution is no longer part of the law.
“Because you made a policy, and it was based on that your policy that people risked their lives, from Asia, America and the UK to Nigeria to come and register. After registering, they went back during the election, they came back to vote only for you to tell them that their votes were not captured by IREV because of the technical glitch.”
Opara expressed disbelief over Yakubu’s conscience, questioning how “Professor Yakubu will go to sleep with his two eyes closed, considering what is happening in this country.”
He stressed that “free and fair election is the key,” linking insecurity, inflation, and other national problems to electoral malpractice.
“So when you now allow an expired criminal to enter into National Assembly, or you give him the helm of affairs of the state, where he will be controlling allocations coming to the state and various local government, you cannot give what you don’t have,” he said.
“The point I’m making is that he destroyed the economy of this country. That is the naked truth. He contributed in giving a very bad image to this country.”
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Opara urged that the power to appoint the INEC Chairman be taken away from the President to ensure credibility.
“So, I don’t know how the President is going to appoint somebody that will not do his bidding. That’s why we are also calling that the appointment of the INEC Chairman should be removed from the Office of the President.
“So are you saying that the President will go and appoint somebody that will not work with him in 2027? We need to wake up from our dream.”
He concluded by saying, “His conscience will judge him whether what he did in that 2019 general election, and the one he did in 2023 general election, whether he announced those results in line with the mandate of the masses of this country.”