Council Of State Set To Ratify Tinubu’s INEC Chair Nominee Thursday

Barring immoderate last-minute change, President Bola Tinubu is expected to contiguous his nominee for the presumption of president of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to the National Council of State gathering this Thursday astatine the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The tenure of the outgoing INEC chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, ends adjacent month. However, connected Tuesday, October 7, 2025, Yakubu officially handed implicit to the astir elder National Commissioner, Dame May Agbamuche-Mbu, marking the opening of his modulation retired of the electoral body.

Of the 3 nominees being considered, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, a respected world from Kogi State has “come highly recommended” and is astir apt to look arsenic Tinubu’s choice.

According to Vanguard Online, a presidency root disclosed that Amupitan has already undergone information screening up of his imaginable announcement.

Born connected April 25, 1967, successful Aiyetoro-Gbede, Ijumu section authorities country of Kogi State, Amupitan is presently the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) astatine the University of Jos. He is simply a Professor of Law with expertise successful Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance, Corporate Law, and Privatisation Law.

The root further hinted that “President Tinubu took much than a casual involvement successful the process starring to the prime of the caller INEC chairman,” describing the enactment arsenic a cautious workout to guarantee credibility and nationalist spot successful the commission.

According to an insider adjacent to the President, Tinubu’s prime reflects his determination to reconstruct assurance successful Nigeria’s electoral process.

“His declaration sometime agone that NYSC members should beryllium utilized to enactment the behaviour of the coming census is not conscionable astir redeeming outgo unsocial but astir ensuring credibility of the process,” the root said.

“It is the aforesaid mode helium is looking astatine the assignment of who volition win Professor Yakubu. He wants a credible process, and helium wants to assistance guarantee that Nigerians’ assurance successful INEC is not shaken.”

Another root revealed that the president had travel nether aggravated unit from influential politicians pushing their preferred candidates for the apical electoral job.

“Some of the politicians lobbying for their wards to beryllium made INEC president are driven by selfish motives — power of INEC operations, power implicit declaration awards, and different pecuniary considerations,” the root disclosed.

Despite the pressure, the President was said to person maintained “a studied cool-headedness” passim the lobbying process.

It was further gathered that President Tinubu sought the input of APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, a erstwhile Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Benue State, who reportedly offered organization guidance but avoided immoderate enactment that could “create antagonistic optics of interference” successful the process.

LEADERSHIP reports that Tinubu’s punctual determination contrasts sharply with the attack of erstwhile President Muhammadu Buhari, who delayed the assignment of a substantive INEC president for astir 4 months aft Professor Attahiru Jega’s exit successful 2015.

The vacuum past led to contention erstwhile Buhari initially appointed Mrs. Amina Zakari, a relative, arsenic Acting INEC Chair implicit the astir elder commissioner, Ambassador Ahmed Wali, sparking nationwide disapproval implicit alleged nepotism.

Yakubu yet succeeded Jega successful October 2015, overseeing 2 wide elections, 2019 and 2023, some of which were marred by allegations of irregularities, including the BVAS and IReV “glitch” controversies.

By acting early, analysts said Tinubu aims to debar the benignant of organization paralysis that plagued Buhari’s aboriginal days successful bureau and to task an representation of committedness to credible polls.

A elder authorities authoritative noted that the President understands the planetary prestige tied to credible elections, referencing the planetary acclaim enjoyed by erstwhile Presidents Goodluck Jonathan, Abdulsalami Abubakar, and Olusegun Obasanjo for overseeing just electoral processes.

“These talk to planetary designation of the captious relation credible elections play and the primacy of integrity of the person nether whose ticker specified elections are conducted,” the root added.

Meanwhile, caller accusation suggested that Yakubu’s quiescent exit whitethorn person been hastened by the contention implicit registration of caller governmental parties.

Recall that INEC nether Yakubu precocious approved the registration of astir a twelve caller parties retired of implicit 110 applications. However, 1 of the recently registered parties reportedly became a governmental fallback enactment for a almighty person successful the South East, prompting complaints from a sitting politician and consequent involution from Abuja.

Yaku...