By: Manoah Kikekon
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| Bola Tinubu and Mahmood Yakubu |
ABUJA, Nigeria – President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reportedly directed the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, to proceed on immediate terminal leave, effectively ending his tenure ahead of schedule.
The directive, allegedly prompted by allegations of political disloyalty, sets the stage for a major shakeup at the helm of the nation's electoral body.
According to a report by the online news platform Sahara Reporters, the decision was triggered by a high-level briefing from Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma. The governor, who recently returned from a 12-day working vacation, is said to have informed President Tinubu that Professor Yakubu engaged in a "last-minute betrayal" of the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration that originally appointed him.
The allegations specifically point to Yakubu secretly supporting an opposition candidate in the recent Imo State governorship election and attempting to register new political parties close to the end of his tenure, actions perceived as disruptive to Tinubu's political calculations for a second term.
The fallout from this political confrontation has been immediate and disruptive to INEC's operations. Following President Tinubu's reported directive for Yakubu to "step aside," the commission was forced into an abrupt cancellation of crucial meetings.
The Chairman's final quarterly consultation with leaders of registered political parties, a key plank of electoral stakeholder engagement, was called off indefinitely. A separate planned meeting with civil society organizations to discuss election integrity was also scrapped, leaving the commission's immediate