Security agencies have begun vetting nominees to replace Prof. Mahmood Yakubu as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), ahead of President Bola Tinubu’s planned consultation with the Council of State.
Multiple presidency sources confirmed on Tuesday that the Department of State Services (DSS) and other relevant agencies are carrying out background checks on those shortlisted.
“Yes, they’re undergoing checks before a name is finally picked. The President will soon convene a Council of State meeting where he will present the names. It is a constitutional requirement,” one source told The PUNCH.
Another official added that several names are being considered but stressed that the process would only be finalised after Tinubu’s presentation to the Council.
“Most likely, the meeting will hold when the President returns from Lagos,” the source said.
Yakubu, who was first appointed in 2015 by ex-President Muhammadu Buhari and reappointed in 2020, will complete his second five-year term in December 2025. His decade-long tenure—the longest in Nigeria’s history—saw major innovations like biometric voter authentication and pilot electronic transmission of results, though both drew criticism after glitches in the 2023 elections.
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The Council of State, chaired by the President, is composed of sitting governors, former heads of state, ex-chief justices, the Senate President, the House Speaker, and the Attorney-General of the Federation. Its role is advisory, not binding.
“They will only offer advice. The council will not impose anyone on the President. However, the nominees must be presented for consideration,” another presidency source explained.
The source added that five to six names are usually reviewed.
“There are security checks by the DSS. They will invite nominees for interviews and test their suitability. Until the President makes an official announcement, it is only smart to keep quiet,” the official said.
Since 1993, Nigeria’s electoral chiefs have largely come from a few regions, including Prof. Humphrey Nwosu (Anambra), who conducted the acclaimed June 12, 1993 election, and Prof. Maurice Iwu (Imo), who supervised the 2007 polls.