Mahmood Yakubu Bows Out as INEC Chairman, Hands Over to May Agbamuche-Mbu

October 7, 2025
By Tobi Akinnubi

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has officially handed over the leadership of the electoral body to May Agbamuche-Mbu, who will now serve as Acting National Chairman.

The handover took place on Tuesday during a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) at the INEC headquarters in Abuja.

Professor Yakubu, who has been at the helm of affairs of the Commission since November 2015, expressed appreciation to the staff of INEC, stakeholders, and Nigerians for their support throughout his tenure. He urged the commission to maintain its commitment to transparency, neutrality, and professionalism in the conduct of elections across the country.

May Agbamuche-Mbu, who until now was a National Commissioner representing the South-South geopolitical zone, will oversee the affairs of the commission in an acting capacity pending further directives from the Presidency.

Yakubu’s exit marks the end of an era that saw several electoral reforms, including the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), both of which shaped Nigeria’s recent electoral processes.