May Agbamuche-Mbu has officially assumed the role of Acting Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following the handover from immediate past Chairman Mahmood Yakubu on Tuesday. As the most senior national commissioner at INEC, she will lead the commission’s affairs pending the appointment of a substantive chairman by the Federal Government.
The transition took place during a meeting with resident electoral commissioners (RECs) at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja, where Agbamuche-Mbu formally took charge of the electoral body. Prior to this new role, she chaired INEC’s Legal Services, Clearance and Complaints Committee, where she oversaw critical issues relating to legal compliance and candidate qualification. She has served as a national commissioner representing Delta, Edo, and Cross River states since her initial appointment in 2016.
The handover marks the end of a historic tenure for Mahmood Yakubu, who spent almost a decade at the helm of INEC. Yakubu was first appointed in November 2015 and later reappointed in 2020, making him the first INEC chairman to successfully complete two terms in office. His period saw the conduct of the politically consequential 2019 and 2023 general elections, alongside numerous off-cycle and by-elections across the country.
In his remarks during the transition, Mr. Yakubu urged all INEC staff and stakeholders to extend their full cooperation to his successor. He noted that the seamless transition of leadership is strictly in line with constitutional provisions guiding tenure in Nigeria’s public service. Agbamuche-Mbu now steps into the role with the critical responsibility of maintaining the commission’s stability until a new, substantive leader is named.
