Atiku faults ex-INEC chairman Yakubu’s nomination as ambassador

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the nomination of the immediate past Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, as an ambassador by President Bola Tinubu.

Atiku, in a statement on Thursday, December 4, 2025, described Yakubu’s nomination as a damage to Nigeria’s democracy and public trust.

The former vice president said if he were Nigeria’s President, he would “under no circumstance” endorse such a nomination, warning that it would create dangerous perceptions about the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral system.

According to him, appointing the former INEC boss to a diplomatic post would raise “serious concerns” and could easily be interpreted as a reward for overseeing what many consider one of the most controversial elections in the country’s history.

Atiku stated: “Let me state without ambiguity: under no circumstance would I, as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, nominate the immediate past INEC Chairman for an ambassadorial position.

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“Such a nomination raises serious concerns. It risks appearing as a quid pro quo rather than a recognition of merit.

“It presents terrible optics for an administration already struggling with credibility. It sends the wrong message to the current INEC leadership; that partisan, compromised, or poorly executed elections may ultimately be rewarded.”

He further stressed that elevating an electoral umpire who presided over a highly disputed process “is morally indefensible” and could erode public confidence in governance.

Atiku added: “And most importantly, it is morally indefensible for an umpire at the centre of one of the most disputed elections in our history to become a beneficiary of its outcome.”

“This is not the path to strengthening our democracy or restoring public trust in our institutions.”

The Star