The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday referred to Mr. Sam Olumekun as its acting chairman, fueling ongoing speculation over the status of the Commission’s substantive head, Professor Mahmood Yakubu.
Olumekun, who serves as INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, was addressed as acting chairman during a meeting with the Labour Party leadership at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
The reason for the temporary delegation of duty is that Professor Yakubu is currently in The Gambia, where he is attending a meeting of the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC).
According to constitutional provisions, the INEC chairman serves a five-year term, with the possibility of renewal. Professor Yakubu was first appointed on November 9, 2015, and was reappointed in 2020, making him the first chairman to serve two terms in the Commission’s history.
Per Section 157 of the 1999 Constitution, the INEC chairman can only be removed by the president with the approval of two-thirds of the Senate.
The latest development follows earlier reports claiming President Bola Tinubu had dismissed Yakubu and replaced him with Professor Bashiru Olamilekan.
However, the presidency denied the reports. The Senior Special Adviser to the President on Digital and New Media, O’tega Ogra, described the claims as “fake news,” urging the public to disregard them.
Ogra further clarified that any official communication regarding such a decision would be conveyed through proper channels such as the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.