Presidency Breaks Silence On Alleged Sack Of INEC Chairman Yakubu

• The presidency has denied the report that President Bola Tinubu has sacked INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu
• Daniel Bwala, special adviser to the president on policy communication, denied the report in a tweet on Monday, April 7
• The social media claim came as the second term of Yakubu approached its end, and the president was expected to nominate another candidate

The presidency has denied the report that President Bola Tinubu sacked Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Daniel Bwala, special adviser to the president on policy communication, denied the report in a tweet on Monday, April 7, adding that there was no iota of truth in the claim.

Tinubu communicates officially

According to Bwala, all Tinubu's actions would be communicated through the appropriate channels while urging the public to disregard the social media claim.

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See Bwala's tweet here:

Social media messages claimed Tinubu sacked Yakubu

A viral message on WhatsApp has claimed that the INEC chairman was sacked and that the president had appointed Professor Bashiru Olamikan as his replacement. However, the WhatsApp message was not attributed to anyone.

The WhatsApp message reads:

“INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmud Yakubu has been replaced with Prof. Bashiru Olamilekan by President Tinubu.”.

When will Yakubu's tenure end?

Yakubu's second tenure as the chairman of the electoral commission is expected to come to an end towards the end of 2025.

To appoint another INEC chairman, President Tinubu will have to nominate a candidate whose particulars would be forwarded to the Department of State Services (DSS) for scrutiny.

Following the screening, the president will submit the name of the appointee to the National Council of State for its advisory and review. The next step is for the president to forward the name of the appointee to the Senate for screening and confirmation.

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Which INEC chairman conducted the 2023 election?

Legit.ng recalled that Yakubu conducted the 2023 presidential election that produced President Tinubu. The election was a keen contest between Tinubu, who was the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party.

The outcome of the election was contested up to the Supreme Court by the opposition, including Atiku and Obi. The opposition has alleged that the election was not free and fair, and INEC, under the leadership of Yakubu, was accused of electoral malpractice in favour of the president.

However, the Supreme Court dismissed their allegations over a lack of evidence to back up their claims. Since the Supreme Court verdict, Atiku and Obi have remained fierce critics of Tinubu's administration, but the presidency has not been quiet in responding to their criticism either.

INEC reacts to Yakubu's alleged sack

INEC has also dismissed the viral claims suggesting that its chairman, Professor Yakubu, has been removed from office by President Tinubu.

INEC’s Chief Press Secretary, Rotimi Oyekanmi, responded to the report, stating simply:

“Please, disregard. It is not true.”

Has any previous INEC chairman been dismissed mid-tenure?

No INEC chairman has been officially dismissed mid-tenure since the country’s return to democracy in 1999, a review of appointments and exits shows.

INEC chairmen, whose roles are constitutionally protected, can only be removed by the president with the approval of a two-thirds majority in the Senate, according to Section 157 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution.

The closest case to a mid-term removal was that of Professor Maurice Iwu, who led the commission from 2005 to 2010. He was directed to proceed on terminal leave by then Acting President Goodluck Jonathan in April 2010, months before his term was due to end, following widespread criticism of the 2007 elections he supervised.

Earlier, during Nigeria's military era, Professor Humphrey Nwosu, head of the defunct National Electoral Commission (NEC), was sidelined after conducting the annulled June 12, 1993, presidential election. His tenure ended without formal dismissal but under the cloud of political interference by General Ibrahim Babangida’s regime.

Other electoral chiefs such as Justice Ephraim Akpata (1998–2000) and Dr. Abel Guobadia (2000–2005) served full terms under Nigeria’s Fourth Republic.

Current INEC Chairman Yakubu, who began his second five-year term in December 2020, is the first to be reappointed for a consecutive term. He is expected to remain in office until December 2025, barring any constitutionally approved removal.

Recall: Natasha thanked INEC, knocked Akpabio, Bello

In another report, Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan has thanked the INEC, as the electoral commission rejected her recall over a lack of constitutional compliance.

Natasha, who is currently under a six-month suspension over a lack of adherence to rules, warned Senate President Godswill Akpabio and ex-Governor Yahaya Bello.

The embattled lawmaker recently accused the Senate President, Akpabio, of sexual harassment and vowed that his and Bello's days in politics were numbered.

Head of Politics and Current Affairs Desk, Nurudeen Lawal, contributed historical context on the tenures and exits of INEC chairmen to this report.