Succession Battle Heats Up: INEC Faces Uncertain Future As Yakubu’s Tenure Ends

The tenure of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, is set to expire in November 2025, marking the completion of his constitutionally permitted two terms.

However, findings by Vanguard indicate that President Bola Tinubu has yet to decide on Yakubu’s successor, even as fresh intrigues emerge over plots to install a “suitable replacement.”

According to insider sources, powerful political interests have already begun floating names, pushing for candidates they deem “strategic” ahead of the 2027 general elections. Some of these individuals previously served as National Commissioners or Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs), though their integrity and past records have raised serious concerns.

The succession tussle is already rekindling memories of Nigeria’s controversial elections. Many still recall the disputed 2003 and 2007 polls, the latter of which the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua openly admitted was deeply flawed. Observers fear that similar manipulation could resurface if political lobbyists dictate the choice of Yakubu’s successor.

The unfolding drama also echoes the storm of 2015, when former President Muhammadu Buhari’s handling of the INEC transition after Professor Attahiru Jega’s exit plunged the commission into controversy. Jega, in line with statutory procedure, handed over to Ambassador (Dr.) Ahmed Wali as acting chairman. But within 24 hours, Buhari bypassed Wali and appointed Mrs. Amina Bala Zakari—his relation—sparking nationwide outrage.

That move, conveyed in a June 30, 2015 letter by then Head of Service, Danladi Kifasi, was widely criticised as nepotistic, given Zakari’s junior status in INEC’s hierarchy. The credibility storm only subsided months later, when Buhari appointed Mahmood Yakubu as substantive chairman on October 21, 2015, following intense lobbying and counter-lobbying.

Now, as Yakubu’s tenure winds down, Nigeria braces for yet another high-stakes succession battle that could shape the credibility of the 2027 elections.