By Kingston Magare 12/5/2025
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman, Mahmood Yakubu has once again dispelled rumours he has been removed by President Bola Tinubu from the nation’s electoral body.
Mr. Yakubu told journalists Monday in Abuja he was still in the saddle planning on how to conduct credible, free and fair elections in the future.
“I don’t think we need to waste time on unnecessary speculation. As far as the law is concerned, and to the best of my knowledge, I remain the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Chief Electoral Commissioner of the federation under the Constitution, and the Returning Officer for the presidential election under the Electoral Act,” Yakubu said.
He submitted that the INEC made 142 recommendations to the National Assembly as part of ongoing efforts to reform Nigeria’s electoral process following its internal review of the 2023 general elections.
“We reviewed the 2023 general elections on our own. We engaged with stakeholders and came up with 142 recommendations. Out of these, eight require constitutional or Electoral Act amendments, and we have already discussed them with members of the National Assembly,” he said.
Yakubu expressed satisfaction with the lawmakers’ response and pace of action.
“So far, so good. We are happy with our discussions with them and the speed at which they want to proceed to ensure necessary amendments are made ahead of the 2027 general elections,” he said.
