Agbamuche emerges INEC acting chairman

Professor Mahmood Yakubu has handed over to May Agbamuche as the Acting National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Yakubu announced Agbamuche, who is the oldest serving National Commissioner in the electoral umpire, as the acting chairman during a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners at the INEC headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, October 7, 2025.

Yakubu leaves office as INEC chairman after completing his constitutionally allowed two terms spanning 10 years.

President Bola Tinubu is expected to announce his successor in the coming days, pending confirmation by the Senate.

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Yakubu was first appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari in November 2015, six months after Buhari assumed office.

He completed his first five-year term in 2020 and was reappointed for a second term, making him the first person in Nigeria’s history to serve two consecutive terms as INEC chairman.

During his tenure, Yakubu, who succeeded Professor Attahiru Jega, oversaw several elections, including the 2019 and 2023 general elections, as well as numerous off-cycle polls across the country.

The Star