Why Buhari retained Mahmood Yakubu as INEC Chairman

Mahmood Yakubu was appointed INEC boss in 2015

President Muhammadu Buhari has given his nod for the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC Prof. Mahmood Yakubu to keep his job as the Commission’s boss.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.

He said: “In a letter to President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, the president said in accordance with the provision of Section 154 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), ‘I am pleased to present for confirmation by the Senate, the nomination of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu for appointment as Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for a second and final term.”

Yakubu was first appointed by Buhari in November 2015.

Yakubu’s nomination makes him the first chairman of the commission to be nominated twice.

Meanwhile, the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has congratulated Yakubu on his reappointment for a second term of office.

In a statement issued by the spokesman of the CUPP, Mr. Ikenga Ugochinyere, CUPP said that they received the news of the reappointment of Yakubu with caution.

“We heartily congratulate him on his reappointment for a fresh term of five years. This is because we see this opportunity given to him as the only chance he would have to set our electoral processes on the right path.”

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According to the CUPP, “We, therefore, urge him to use this second term appointment which is novel in the political history of Nigeria to cleanse our electoral process and consolidate on the gains of Edo and Ondo elections.

“The shifted elections earlier scheduled for 31st October 2020 would be the first test of what this second term would be for Nigerians will expect nothing less than a very credible, free and fair 2023 general election from him.

CUPP also called on the Senate and opposition lawmakers to confirm the appointment so as to allow him to have the needed neutrality to oversee the upcoming bye- elections and adequate time to start the cleansing process of the electoral process.

Meanwhile, this does not come as much of a surprise as most appointees under President Muhammadu Buhari has enjoyed an unusually high degree of job security. The President has not changed most of his appointees since coming into office since 2015.