A first South West chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is expected as the tenure of Professor Mahmood Yakubu draws to a close next month.
Yakubu, first appointed in 2015 and reappointed in 2020, is the longest-serving INEC chairman in Nigeria’s history.
His exit will pave the way for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to nominate a successor, in line with Section 154 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which vests the appointment of the INEC chairman in the president subject to Senate confirmation.
Paragraph 14 of Part I of the Third Schedule further requires that the appointee must be at least 50 years old and of “unquestionable integrity.”
Although Tinubu has reportedly kept his preference closely guarded, sources say he initially leaned toward a candidate from the South West before political considerations forced him to expand the shortlist to other geopolitical zones.
Those being considered include Justice Abdullahi Mohammed Liman of the Court of Appeal; retired University of Lagos professor and former INEC national commissioner, Lai Olurode; former INEC procurement director, Kenneth Ukeagu; current national commissioner for Information and Voter Education, Sam Olumekun; and Professor Bashiru Olamilekan.
Three of the leading contenders are from the South West, while one each comes from the South East and North Central.
Since the establishment of a unified electoral body, the South West and North Central remain the only zones yet to produce an INEC chairman. If Tinubu picks from his home zone, it will be the first time a substantive chairman emerges from the South West — and the first time in history a sitting president appoints an INEC boss from his own geopolitical zone.
Political observers warn that such a move could heighten suspicion about neutrality.
“You know this (INEC chairmanship) is a sensitive position because it has to do with an election that the president would be participating in. He is required to be seen as neutral and anything that would portray him as having undue advantage would be frowned at.
“So, if he goes ahead and brings someone from his zone, it would heighten suspicion and give the opposition the chance to accuse the electoral body of bias or favouritism,” one source noted.
Historically, past leaders have avoided this path.
Tafawa Balewa appointed Eyo Ita Esua (South-South); Shehu Shagari appointed Michael Ani (South-East) and Victor Ovie-Whiskey (South-South); Olusegun Obasanjo appointed Ephraim Akpata, Abel Guobadia (both South-South) and Maurice Iwu (South-East); Goodluck Jonathan appointed Professor Attahiru Jega (North-West); while Muhammadu Buhari appointed Professor Mahmood Yakubu (North-East).
Except for the brief acting stint of Amina Bala Zakari under Buhari, no sitting president has ever appointed an INEC chairman from his zone.
