ABUJA, Nigeria — Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has confirmed that all necessary amendments to the Electoral Act will be concluded ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking to journalists on Monday, May 12, 2025, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where he attended the swearing-in of two new INEC National Commissioners, Yakubu also dispelled persistent rumours of his removal from office, asserting that he remains the Chief Electoral Commissioner of the Federation.
“As far as the law is concerned, and as far as I’m aware, I remain the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission,” Yakubu said.
“Under the Constitution, [I am] the Chief Electoral Commissioner of the Federation and under the Electoral Act, the returning officer for the presidential election.”
His comments follow weeks of speculation regarding his position amid wider public debate about electoral reforms and the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral processes ahead of the 2027 polls.
Yakubu confirmed that the commission has completed a post-election review of the 2023 general elections, during which it identified 142 recommendations for improvement.
Out of these, eight require amendments to either the Electoral Act or the Constitution.
He noted that INEC has been actively engaging with the National Assembly to implement necessary legal reforms, including a recent retreat held in Lagos with the joint Senate and House committees on electoral reform.
“Thereafter, the National Assembly is going to organize a public hearing, and it’s after the public hearing that a new bill will, at the end of the day, be submitted to the President for assent,” he said.
Yakubu welcomed the collaboration and praised the speed with which the legislature was moving.
“So far so good, we are happy with our discussions with them, and we are also happy with the speed with which they want to proceed,” he added.
The INEC chairman’s remarks come as the commission bolsters its leadership structure with the inauguration of two new National Commissioners—Mallam Tukur Abdulrazaq Yusuf (Northwest) and Professor Sunday Nwambam Aja (Southeast).
Their appointments restore the commission to near full capacity, following the recent passing of Major General Modibbo Alkali (retd), who had represented the Northeast.
INEC, as constituted, comprises a chairman and 12 national commissioners drawn equally from Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
In addition to the INEC appointments, President Bola Tinubu also swore in two members of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) on Monday—Ikpeme Kenneth Ndem (Cross River State) and retired Justice Buba Ibrahim Nyaure.
Yakubu, who is set to conclude his second term in October 2025 after serving the maximum constitutional limit of 10 years, will be leaving a pivotal legacy in shaping the legal framework for the next electoral cycle.
His successor, expected to be appointed by President Tinubu, will likely oversee the 2027 general elections, in which the president is widely expected to seek re-election.
