President Tinubu has asked INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu to proceed on leave following allegations of disloyalty and interference in party politics.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reportedly 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.
According to insider sources, the move follows Mahmood’s “last-minute betrayal” of the APC government that appointed him. Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma allegedly briefed Tinubu after his return from a 12-day working vacation, accusing Yakubu of attempting to register new political parties to weaken Tinubu’s re-election strategy and of backing a candidate in the Imo governorship race.
The directive forced the cancellation of Yakubu’s final quarterly meeting with political parties and a session with civil society groups. Tinubu is expected to send a new nominee for INEC Chairman to the National Assembly soon.
Yakubu, appointed in 2015 by then-President Muhammadu Buhari, now leaves office amid speculations of political maneuvering and growing concerns over electoral credibility ahead of 2027.