As Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s tenure as chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) nears its end, political actors and interest groups have begun subtle manoeuvres to influence who takes over the sensitive role.
Yakubu, who was first appointed in 2015 by former president Muhammadu Buhari and reappointed in 2020, will complete his second and final term in October 2025.
While some stakeholders hope for a smooth and credible transition, others express scepticism about the process, especially given the presidency’s constitutional powers to nominate a successor, subject to Senate confirmation.
Debate has also intensified over which geopolitical zone should produce the next chairman, with voices from the North-Central, South-East, and South-South demanding consideration.
Alex Ogbonna, former publicity secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, questioned the integrity of the process, citing President Bola Tinubu’s “pattern” in previous appointments.
“Our president is a Jagaban in all respects. The geopolitical zone does not make meaning to Jagaban.
“What makes meaning to Jagaban is a man who has been tested and trusted in his own values,” he told Nigerian Tribune.
Akin Fapounda, a former federal permanent secretary, called for a radical overhaul of the electoral system.
“My longstanding position is to abolish INEC at the federal level. Let’s devolve electoral powers to the six geopolitical zones. That would eliminate bias and remove the need for census-based allocation,” he said.
Legal scholar Chidi Odinkalu also stirred conversation by suggesting Tinubu may appoint a fellow Yoruba.
“Tinubu’s INEC chairman will be Yoruba,” he said, arguing that the pattern fits with other key appointments made by the president.
Middle Belt Forum president, Bitrus Pogu, said the time had come to appoint a neutral and incorruptible figure.
“Someone who cannot be compromised by money, pressure, or any incentive is what the country needs,” he said.
Pogu suggested the North-Central should be considered, noting that the region has never held the position.
General John Sura (rtd), a PDP stalwart, also backed the North-Central for the slot.
“We’ve had chairmen from the North-East, North-West and South-South. It’s time to give the North-Central a chance,” he said.
Sura further called for someone from civil society or the judiciary, arguing that past INEC bosses from academia had failed to meet expectations.
Former Nigerian Bar Association vice president, Monday Ubani, SAN, favoured the South-South or South-East, saying fairness demands a shift.
“The president is from the South-West, and the outgoing chairman is from the North-East. It’s only logical and just to look toward the South-South or South-East,” he said.
He stressed the need for a person of “unquestionable integrity, fairness and zeal for justice” to lead the commission into the 2027 elections.
With just over a year to go, the quiet jostle for the position is expected to intensify.
