Tinubu honours Mahmood Yakubu with CON, accepts exit as INEC Chair

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officially accepted the departure of Professor Mahmood Yakubu as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) following the completion of his second term in office.

Yakubu, who was first appointed in November 2015 as the 14th chairman of the electoral body and reappointed in 2020, concluded his tenure after ten years of service.

In a statement released on Monday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Tinubu expressed deep appreciation for Yakubu’s dedication and contributions to the advancement of Nigeria’s democracy.

“President Tinubu thanked Professor Yakubu for his services to the nation and his efforts to sustain Nigeria’s democracy, particularly through the organisation of free and fair elections throughout his two-term tenure,” the statement read.

In recognition of his decade-long service, the President honoured Yakubu with the national award of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).

Tinubu further directed that May Agbamuche-Mbu, the most senior national commissioner at INEC, assume leadership of the commission in an acting capacity pending the appointment of a substantive chairman.

“Professor Yakubu should hand over to the most senior national commissioner, May Agbamuche-Mbu, who will direct the affairs of the commission until the completion of the process to appoint a successor,” Onanuga added.

In his response, Professor Yakubu expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for the opportunity to serve the country, noting that leading INEC for a decade was both an honour and a responsibility.

In a letter dated October 3, 2025, he thanked the President “for the opportunity to serve the nation as chairman of the commission since 2015.”

Yakubu’s exit brings to a close a historic tenure during which he oversaw two general elections (2019 and 2023) and numerous off-cycle polls across Nigeria.