President Bola Tinubu on Monday swore in two newly appointed commissioners of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), amid rumours surrounding the status of the Commission’s leadership.
The Chairman of INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, firmly denied reports of his removal, stating he remains in office in accordance with the law.
Speaking to State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja, Yakubu said: “As far as the law is concerned, and to the best of my knowledge, I remain the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Chief Electoral Commissioner of the Federation under the Constitution, and the Returning Officer for the presidential election under the Electoral Act.”
Alongside the INEC appointments, President Tinubu also inaugurated two new members of the Code of Conduct Bureau—Ikpeme Kenneth Ndem from Cross River and retired Justice Buba Ibrahim Nyaure from Taraba.
Yakubu also used the occasion to outline INEC’s ongoing efforts toward electoral reform. According to him, the Commission is collaborating closely with the National Assembly on amendments to both the Constitution and the Electoral Act, drawing on lessons from the 2023 general elections.
“Following our internal review and engagements with stakeholders, we submitted 142 recommendations to the National Assembly,” Yakubu stated. “Out of these, eight require amendments to the Constitution or Electoral Act, and discussions with lawmakers on these have been very encouraging.”
He revealed that INEC had participated in a legislative retreat in Lagos with the joint Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Electoral Matters, aimed at fast-tracking the reform process ahead of the next election cycle.
Yakubu expressed optimism that a public hearing on the proposed changes would be held soon, eventually leading to the transmission of an electoral amendment bill to President Tinubu for assent. While he refrained from detailing the proposed amendments, he noted that the National Assembly would provide the necessary updates in due course.
On the composition of the Commission, Yakubu confirmed that with Monday’s swearing-in of the two new Commissioners, INEC is nearing its full complement, with only one vacancy left following the death of retired Major General Abubakar Alkali.
What you should know
INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu has reaffirmed his position amid dismissal rumours, as the Commission pursues sweeping electoral reforms with lawmakers. The new appointments bring INEC closer to full capacity.
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