President Bola Tinubu has finally approved the replacement of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, with Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN), ahead of the forthcoming Anambra governorship election.
Amupitan will be presented to the Council of State on Thursday in Abuja, barring last-minute changes.
According to reliable sources, Mahmood’s sudden removal was driven by two major concerns within the Presidency. First, he was allegedly working to register new political parties before the end of his tenure, a move said to have unsettled Tinubu’s inner circle.
Second, there were fears that he could not be “trusted” to deliver outcomes favourable to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in both the new party registration process, if at all it happens, and the upcoming Anambra election.
INEC has announced that the 2025 Anambra State Governorship election will be held on Saturday, November 8, 2025.
Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma is said to have personally taken the matter to President Tinubu after returning from his recent overseas trip, warning that Mahmood’s continued stay could “destabilise” the APC’s plans for the 2027 electoral cycle.
Uzodinma also reported to Tinubu that Mahmood was planning to impose a close friend in Imo State, and part of the plan was to register a party he could use.
Following this meeting, Tinubu reportedly directed Mahmood to stop performing any official INEC duties and to proceed on terminal leave. However, a leak published by SaharaReporters allegedly forced a brief delay in the announcement of his removal.
That changed on Tuesday, when President Tinubu reportedly informed Mahmood that Amupitan would immediately take over as INEC Chairman once his appointment was formally announced.
Sources within the Presidency further revealed that the decision was also aimed at giving the new Chairman enough time to “stabilise” before conducting the Anambra election, which Governor Uzodinma has reportedly been tasked with supervising to “ensure an outcome suitable for Tinubu.”
Earlier, SaharaReporters reported that Mahmood had handed over to May Agbamuche-Mbu, who now serves as the Acting Chairman of the Commission.