President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally confirmed the departure of Professor Mahmood Yakubu as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
A statement issued on Tuesday by President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, noted that Yakubu, who was first appointed in November 2015 as the 14th chairman of the electoral body and reappointed in 2020, had completed his 10-year tenure.
However, SaharaReporters earlier reported that Yakubu’s tenure was not due to end until the first week of December, but President Tinubu had directed him to proceed on early terminal leave.
He was first appointed INEC Chairman on October 21, 2015, by then-President Muhammadu Buhari, succeeding acting chairperson Amina Zakari. Following Senate confirmation on October 29, 2015, he was sworn in on November 9, 2015.
After completing his first term in November 2020, Yakubu was nominated for a second and final term by President Buhari, confirmed by the Senate, and sworn in on December 1, 2020.
Onanuga, on Tuesday, said President Tinubu commended Yakubu for his service to the nation and his role in strengthening Nigeria’s democracy through the conduct of elections during his two terms.
The President, in recognition of Yakubu’s contributions, conferred on him the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).
“In recognition of Yakubu’s dedicated service to the nation, President Tinubu has bestowed on him the honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON),” the statement said.
It noted that Tinubu also directed that the most senior National Commissioner, May Agbamuche-Mbu, should assume leadership of the commission in an acting capacity pending the appointment of a substantive chairman.
According to the statement, Yakubu, in a letter dated October 3, 2025, expressed gratitude to the President for the opportunity to serve as INEC chairman for a decade.
Earlier, SaharaReporters exclusively reported that President Tinubu had finally approved the replacement of 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, Yakubu’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.
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 Yakubu’s continued stay could “destabilise” the APC’s plans for the 2027 electoral cycle.
Uzodinma also reported to Tinubu that Yakubu 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 Yakubu 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 Yakubu 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.”