May Mbu Takes Over As INEC Chairman As Mahmood Yakubu Begins Terminal Leave
Sequel to the decision of Professor Mahmood Yakubu to leave his position and begin a terminal leave, May Agbamuche-Mbu, a National Commissioner at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has taken over as the acting chairman of the electoral body.
Team@orientactualmags.com learned that this was disclosed during the meeting held with Resident Electoral Commissioners at the INEC headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday.
Professor Mahmood Yakubu was appointed as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by former president Muhammadu Buhari on November 9, 2015, and he also reappointed him as head of the electoral body in 2020.
Professor Yakubu submitted on Tuesday that he has taken a decision to leave his position in accordance with Section 306, Subsections 1 and 2 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
‘In recognition of the significant challenges ahead, and having had the honour of serving the Commission for the past 10 years, with only a few weeks remaining in my tenure. I have made a decision.
In the interim, I am handing over to one of the most senior national commissioners by date of appointment. Following consultation with other national commissioners, May Agbamuche-Mbu will serve in an acting capacity pending the appointment of a substantive chairman of the Commission.
I hope that this will afford the appointing authorities adequate time to appoint a new chairman. It will also enable the new chairman to quickly settle down to the task of conducting elections and electoral activities in Africa’s most demographically and logistically complex environment.
Since 2015, I have worked with 24 national commissioners and 67 resident electoral commissioners, so also to the staff of the Commission. Those involved in elections or vastly knowledgeable about election management understand the conduct of elections and what it entails. I will forever cherish the support of successive secretaries and staff of the Commission nationwide’ he noted.
The outgoing INEC chairman expressed gratitude to colleagues, stakeholders, civil society groups, development partners, and Nigerians for their support while acknowledging their roles in supporting electoral processes during his tenure.
He also praised members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), submitting that they are ‘among the most educated and most patriotic and also most knowledgeable election officials I have worked with’.
‘Above all, I thank Nigerians for their comments as well as criticisms, which encouraged rather than discouraged us to persevere.
All that remains at this point is for me to pray that God will continue to bless our country and our democracy.
It is now my pleasure to sign my official handing over notes and present the same to Agbamuche-Mbu. And from that point, I will take my exit’ he added-Team@orientactualmags.com Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08035023079, 08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com. Thank you
