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By Fatima Mukhtar
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has appointed National Commissioner May Agbamuche-Mbu as its Acting Chairman following the commencement of terminal leave by the outgoing Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu.
The handover took place at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja during a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs), marking the start of a transition period at Nigeria’s top election management body.
Mrs Agbamuche-Mbu, who represents Cross River State at INEC, becomes the first woman to lead the Commission, even if in an acting capacity. She was unanimously selected by her colleagues as the most senior National Commissioner to assume leadership pending the appointment of a substantive chairman.
A respected lawyer and administrator, Agbamuche-Mbu obtained her LLB degree from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1985. She also holds an LLM in Commercial and Corporate Law from Queen Mary University of London. Before joining INEC, she was the Managing Partner at Norfolk Partners, a Lagos-based law firm, and served as Editor of ThisDay Lawyer, where she authored over 120 legal commentaries under her “Legal Eagle” column.
She has also served on various national committees, including the Presidential Projects Assessment Committee (PPAC) and the Ministerial Committee on the Solid Minerals Sector.
Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who has led INEC since November 2015, is proceeding on terminal leave ahead of the completion of his second five-year term. His tenure was marked by major electoral reforms aimed at promoting transparency, notably the introduction of the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) used in recent general and off-cycle elections.
Yakubu’s exit, however, has sparked legal debate. Prominent human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) argued that placing the INEC Chairman on terminal leave may contradict the 1999 Constitution, which grants the Commission operational independence and prescribes specific procedures for removal of its head.
In her remarks after assuming office, Agbamuche-Mbu pledged to sustain the reforms introduced by her predecessor and ensure continuity in the Commission’s operations ahead of upcoming elections. She called for teamwork among Commissioners and staff to maintain public trust in the electoral process.
Sources: Vanguard Newspaper, Punch, TVC News, INEC official website.
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