There was a state of confusion on Wednesday night following reports that President Bola Tinubu has purportedly instructed the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to take terminal leave prior to the conclusion of his tenure.
Yakubu is anticipated to conclude his two-term tenure of 10 years in the first week of December 2025. He was initially appointed as the INEC chair in 2015 by President Muhammadu Buhari.
After his first term ended, he was reappointed by President Buhari and subsequently confirmed by the Senate in December. No INEC Chairman has completed two terms since the commission’s inception.
The report suggested that Yakubu was directed to suspend his official responsibilities and go on leave, a situation that has created uncertainty regarding the commission’s schedule.
This reported directive resulted in the sudden cancellation of the chairman’s final quarterly consultative meeting with political parties and a planned session with civil society organizations.
Although The Guardian has confirmed that the quarterly consultative meeting of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which was set to commence on Wednesday with an interactive session with political parties, was unexpectedly postponed, it remains uncertain whether this development is linked to the alleged presidential directive.
However, in response to the report, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, urged Nigerians to first refer to the 1999 Constitution before forming conclusions.
“The first thing you need to do is to ascertain what the law stipulates regarding the appointment and removal of the INEC Chairman and National Commissioners,” he stated.
The 1999 Constitution explicitly delineates the procedure in Section 154(1), which asserts:
“Except in the case of ex-officio members or where other provisions are made in this Constitution, the appointment of a person to the office of the Chairman or member of any of the bodies so established shall be made by the President and shall be subject to confirmation by the Senate.
This section also offers protections against unjust dismissal as outlined in Section 157(1): “An individual occupying any of the positions to which this section pertains can only be dismissed by the President, based on a request endorsed by a two-thirds majority of the Senate, which calls for their removal due to an inability to perform the duties of the office (whether due to mental or physical incapacity or any other reason) or due to misconduct.”
