● Concerns Yoruba pick could undermine 2027 poll credibility
● Yakasai backs Tinubu’s right to freely appoint next INEC chairman
● Mamora urges focus on credible polls, not ethnic origin
● Ethnic pressure won’t sway President’s choice, says M’Belt Forum
● Bode George: Region of next INEC boss shouldn’t matter
Following an unconfirmed directive from the Presidency that the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu, should proceed on terminal leave ahead of his retirement in November, debates have emerged among political actors and regional stakeholders over his possible successor, and from which geopolitical zone the next chairman should be appointed.
Beyond the politics of succession, stakeholders are also assessing what the incoming INEC chairman must do to address the shortcomings of Yakubu’s tenure and set an agenda for new reforms that will strengthen Nigeria’s electoral process.
Credibility before, during, and after elections has remained a significant challenge over the years, raising persistent questions about how leaders emerge across all tiers of government. Since the commission’s establishment in 1960, four regions, excluding the South-West and North-Central, have produced its chairmen. They include Eyo Esua (1964–1966), Michael Ani (1976–1979), Victor Ovie-Whiskey (1980–1983), Eme Awa (1987–1989), Humphrey Nwosu (1989–1993), Okon Uya (1993), Sumner Dagogo-Jack (1994–1998), Ephraim Akpata (1998–2000), Abel Guobadia (2000–2005), Maurice Iwu (2005–2010), Attahiru Jega (2010–2015), and Mahmood Yakubu (2015–present).
Already, some voices from the North are insisting that President Bola Tinubu should look beyond the South-West in appointing Yakubu’s successor. Others, however, are calling for constitutional reforms to strip the President of the exclusive power to appoint an INEC chairman, arguing that a more democratic process is needed to ensure credibility.
Although proposals have been made to transfer the appointment power away from the Presidency, the chances of such reform succeeding remain slim. A bill sponsored by Ikechukwu Obiorah, a former senator representing Anambra South, sought to move the appointment process away from the President to safeguard INEC’s independence and build public trust in elections.
The idea has long resonated with critics of Nigeria’s electoral system, who argue that allowing the President, a political actor with vested interests, to appoint the country’s chief electoral umpire undermines public confidence in the electoral process. Comparisons are often drawn with other democracies where such appointments are handled by independent panels, bipartisan committees, or judicial councils to insulate electoral bodies from executive influence.
Yet, despite the merits of the argument, the odds of reform remain narrow. The legislative process, which involves debate, passage, and presidential assent, is lengthy and uncertain. Moreover, no President appears to have shown the willingness to relinquish such a powerful instrument of influence.
Unless the current administration deliberately embraces the idea as a legacy reform, the proposal may remain another recurring footnote in Nigeria’s long and chequered history of electoral reform.
Counter-arguments have also emerged, with some insisting that Tinubu’s political experience should guide him in selecting a competent and impartial Nigerian, just as former President Muhammadu Buhari exercised his prerogative in appointing Yakubu.
Contenders in focus
As Yakubu proceeds on terminal leave after 10 years in office, several names are already being mentioned as possible successors. They include Prof Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN), a respected constitutional lawyer and university don; Justice Abdullahi Mohammed Liman of the Court of Appeal; retired professor and former INEC National Commissioner, Lai Olurode; former INEC Director of Procurement, Kenneth Ukeagu; the current National Commissioner for Information and Voter Education, Sam Olumekun; and Prof Bashiru Olamilekan. Three of the listed candidates are from the South-West, with one each from the South-East and North-Central.
Critics have warned that if President Bola Tinubu appoints another Yoruba person, accusations of lopsided appointments could intensify and the 2027 elections might be perceived as compromised.
However, Senator Femi Okurounmu, a stalwart of Afenifere and a long-time critic of Tinubu, countered: “The President has the prerogative right to appoint whoever he wishes as INEC Chairman. If we are to follow precedent, former President Muhammadu Buhari didn’t hesitate to appoint Yakubu to replace another northerner, Attahiru Jega. Nobody should play up any ethnic sentiment now if Tinubu decides to pick a Yoruba man to replace Yakubu.
“Although I would have suggested that for credibility purposes, President Tinubu can consider looking at other regions, that’s not to say competence and capacity must be jettisoned. In terms of integrity and other qualities, the Yoruba nation has them in abundance, and moreover, no Yoruba man has ever headed the commission since 1960.”
Okurounmu further noted that since the commission was established in 1960, first as the Federal Electoral Commission (FEDECO), later the National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (NECON), and now INEC, no Yoruba person has ever chaired it.
Ethnicity vs competence
Former Senate Minority Leader, Olorunnimbe Mamora, has urged Nigerians to look beyond ethnicity in the appointment of the next Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He said the most important priority is ensuring that Nigeria gets its electoral process right.
Mamora dismissed arguments that appointing someone from President Bola Tinubu’s region would automatically undermine the credibility of the 2027 polls.
“That to me is not tenable because, despite the fact that immediate past President Buhari appointed Yakubu, it does not erase the fact that the outgoing INEC Chairman did his best and introduced some innovations, especially the technology innovations he brought in, which the National Assembly needs to look critically at,” he said.
Mamora added that it is the President’s responsibility to appoint someone capable of ensuring credible elections. He also set an agenda for the incoming chairman.
“The paramount agenda must be to ensure that no elected person is sworn into office until after such might have exhausted all pre-, intra- and post-election court cases. We have seen over the years where someone would be sworn into office without having resolved all post-election disputes. The disadvantages are numerous. Such a person ends up using the apparatus of office to his or her advantage, and it also leads to a lot of distractions. If these provisions were in place, we would be holding more by-elections and off-cycle elections,” he stated.
Mamora, a former Minister of Health, also called for a total restructuring of the electoral management body, insisting that the reform process must be subjected to thorough public debate.
Also speaking, elder statesman Alhaji Tanko Yakasai stated that the President has sufficient political experience to make the right decision regarding the appointment of the INEC Chairman.
“The constitution gave him the power to appoint INEC Chairman and National Commissioners. He has the right to consult, but it is too early to start playing politics by bringing ethnic sentiments into how the INEC Chairman must be appointed. Former President Buhari didn’t consult anybody before he appointed Yakubu; it is therefore necessary to allow the incumbent President to make his free choice, as long as he does that in line with the constitution,” Yakasai said.
Similarly, President of the Middle Belt Forum, Birtus Pogu, said: “President Tinubu has demonstrated enough courage that he is not the kind of president anyone can intimidate or blackmail into doing what he would not do, more so when the constitution empowers him. I do not see the sense in the intrigue because it won’t influence anything.
“The President will bring in a credible, competent and reliable person but definitely not someone that will work against his interest. We can begin to impress on the National Assembly to make the process of appointing INEC Chairman democratic.”
Calls for reform
Commending the outgoing INEC Chairman, President of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), Yerima Shettima, said: “Irrespective of the fact that Yakubu came from the same zone as former President Buhari, the don did his best in the last 10 years. He transformed the commission such that I am bold enough to say none of his predecessors has a record like his.
“We should discountenance the argument of ethnicity but focus on the ability of whoever Mr President will bring on board to deliver. For instance, whoever the President appoints must pass through the National Assembly for screening. It is therefore not a one-man show. The legislature also has a critical role to play.”
Shettima added that his agenda for the incoming INEC chairman is to build on Yakubu’s technological innovations and urged the National Assembly to legislate most of them into the constitution.
Director-General of the National Consultative Front (NCFront), Wale Okunniyi, stressed that the best way to reform Nigeria’s electoral system is to ensure the process of appointing the INEC chairman is no longer left to the prerogative of one person. Former PDP Deputy National Chairman, Bode George, said the region the new INEC boss comes from should not matter.
“If that should matter, then it is good to say that for fairness, justice and equity purposes, the slot should come to the South-West irrespective of the fact that the incumbent President is a Yoruba man. If that doesn’t matter, then it shouldn’t be now,” he said.
According to George, what Nigeria needs now is “someone that is technologically and technically savvy and not one who will return us to the old ways of doing things.”
Yakubu’s mixed legacy
When Yakubu assumed office in 2015, expectations were high that he would build on the reforms introduced by his predecessor, Attahiru Jega. Ten years later, however, his tenure is ending under a cloud of controversy, leaving behind a legacy described by many as a mix of modest innovations and deep disappointments.
Yakubu introduced the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), both of which are widely regarded as landmark innovations. Civil society groups and international observers initially hailed the initiatives as game-changers expected to close loopholes that enabled electoral fraud. Yakubu himself repeatedly assured Nigerians that the results would be transmitted directly from polling units in real time.
But the failure to deliver on those promises during the 2023 elections proved to be a watershed moment. INEC’s inability to upload results to IReV in real time, despite repeated assurances, raised suspicions of manipulation and significantly eroded public trust.
Analysts argue that Yakubu’s greatest shortcoming was a lack of credibility. Although he oversaw some of Nigeria’s most technology-driven elections, his tenure also deepened public cynicism about the independence and impartiality of the electoral body.
Akin Malaolu of the Yoruba Ronu Leadership Forum outlined a clear agenda for Yakubu’s successor: “The incoming chairman must overhaul INEC’s logistics strategy. Early deployment of materials, contingency planning for machine failures, and enhanced coordination with transportation unions and security agencies are crucial to preventing a recurrence.
“He must also work closely with security agencies and the judiciary to establish a credible prosecution framework for all election offenders. Swift punishment will deter malpractice and demonstrate seriousness about enforcing the law. Finally, the chairman must safeguard INEC’s autonomy by resisting external pressures, ensuring transparent decision-making, accountability, and consistent adherence to the law.”
As President Tinubu prepares to announce a successor, the debate has shifted beyond zoning. It is now a litmus test for the credibility of the 2027 elections, the strength of Nigeria’s electoral reforms, and ultimately, the survival of the country’s fragile democracy.
