President Bola Tinubu has officially accepted the exit of Mahmood Yakubu as Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) following the successful completion of his second and final term in office.
In recognition of his significant contributions to Nigeria’s democratic development, President Tinubu has conferred on Yakubu the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).
The announcement was made on Tuesday in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. The statement was titled “President Tinubu Accepts INEC Chairman’s Departure, Bestows National Honour on Him.”
President Tinubu commended Professor Yakubu for his “dedicated service to the nation” and for advancing the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral system throughout his tenure.
“In recognition of Professor Yakubu’s dedicated service to the nation, President Tinubu has bestowed on him the honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger,” the statement read.
The President also directed the outgoing INEC Chairman to hand over the affairs of the Commission to May Agbamuche-Mbu, the most senior National Commissioner at INEC. She will serve as Acting Chairman pending the appointment of a substantive successor.
Appointed in November 2015, Professor Yakubu served as the 14th Chairman of INEC and made history as the first to complete two full terms since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999.
Over the course of his decade-long leadership, he supervised the 2019 and 2023 general elections and spearheaded major technological reforms, including the introduction of the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal designed to boost transparency and public confidence in the electoral process.
In his valedictory letter dated October 3, 2025, Yakubu expressed his gratitude to President Tinubu and Nigerians for the opportunity to serve. He described his tenure as “a privilege and a national duty.”
President Tinubu, in turn, lauded Yakubu for upholding democratic values and overseeing elections he described as “free, fair, and credible.”
Yakubu’s departure marks the conclusion of the longest tenure by any INEC Chairman in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic.
