By Joy Yesufu
Confusion has trailed reports that President Bola Tinubu allegedly directed the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to proceed on terminal leave ahead of the expiration of his tenure.
Yakubu, who was first appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 and reappointed in 2020, is expected to complete his second five-year term in December 2025. He remains the only INEC Chairman to have served two terms since the commission was established.
According to unconfirmed reports, the directive required Yakubu to step aside from official duties, a move that has raised concerns over the commission’s schedule.
The development reportedly led to the abrupt cancellation of his final quarterly consultative meeting with political parties and another planned session with civil society organisations.
However, it remains unclear whether the postponement of INEC’s quarterly meetings which were scheduled to begin on Wednesday was directly linked to the alleged presidential order.
Responding to the speculation, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, urged Nigerians to seek clarity from the law before drawing conclusions.
“The first thing you need to do is to find out what the law says about the appointment and removal of the INEC Chairman and National Commissioners,” Oyekanmi said.
The 1999 Constitution, in Section 154(1), stipulates that the appointment of the INEC Chairman and members must be made by the President and confirmed by the Senate. For removal, Section 157(1) provides safeguards, stating that the President can only act based on an address supported by two-thirds of the Senate, citing inability to discharge duties or misconduct.
With no official confirmation of the alleged directive from either the Presidency or INEC, questions remain over Yakubu’s status and the future of the electoral body’s immediate engagements.
