10 Defining Moments That Shaped Mahmood Yakubu’s 10-Year Reign At INEC

After a decade at the helm of Nigeria’s electoral body, Professor Mahmood Yakubu officially bowed out on Tuesday as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

He handed over the reins to seasoned legal practitioner, May Agbamuche-Mbu, who will serve in an acting capacity.

Yakubu’s tenure as INEC chairman was marked by groundbreaking reforms, historic milestones, and controversies that shaped Nigeria’s electoral process. Before his appointment in 2015, he had served as the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND).

Here are ten major highlights of Professor Yakubu’s decade-long stewardship:

1. Longest-Serving INEC Chairman – Yakubu became the first chairman of the commission to serve two full terms, from 2015 to 2025.

2. Deployment of BVAS and IReV – His leadership introduced the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV), both of which transformed voter authentication and election transparency.

3. Expansion of the Voter Register – Nigeria’s voter register grew to over 93 million under his watch, making it the largest on the African continent.

4. Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) – Yakubu institutionalised a system that allowed Nigerians to register or update their details beyond election seasons.

5. Oversight of Two General Elections – He successfully managed the 2019 and 2023 general elections, coordinating logistics across over 176,000 polling units nationwide.

6. Enhanced Voter Education and Inclusion – His administration championed greater inclusion of youth, women, and persons with disabilities in both policymaking and electoral participation.

7. Improved Election Logistics – Early deployment of sensitive materials and better security coordination improved INEC’s credibility during elections.

8. Strengthened Stakeholder Collaboration – Yakubu fostered stronger ties with political parties, civil society groups, and international observers to enhance dialogue and transparency.

9. Digital Transformation of Processes – From candidate nominations to observer accreditation and result transmission, Yakubu pushed INEC into the digital age.

10. Expansion of Polling Units – For the first time in decades, INEC significantly increased polling units, ensuring better voter access across communities.