INEC Chairman Yakubu Bids Farewell at ECONEC Assembly

Outgoing Chairman of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, on Thursday bade farewell to his counterparts across West Africa, urging renewed commitment to regional cooperation among electoral management bodies.

Yakubu made the call during the Extraordinary General Assembly of the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC), held in Banjul, Gambia. The event marked his final participation in the forum as INEC Chairman.

His appearance came amid swirling speculation over his alleged removal by President Bola Tinubu — a rumour that gained traction after Labour Party officials reportedly met with an acting chairman, Sam Olumekun, at INEC’s headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.

However, the speculation was dispelled after Yakubu chaired INEC’s management meeting on Tuesday. His Chief Press Secretary, Rotimi Oyekanmi, clarified that Yakubu was attending the ECONEC meeting in Gambia, and Olumekun was merely acting in his absence.

In his address, Yakubu underscored the vital role of electoral bodies in sustaining democracy in the West African sub-region. He expressed concern over the backsliding of democratic governance, noting that while all ECOWAS member states were under democratic rule in 2017, four are currently under non-democratic regimes.

“Sadly, that is no longer the case,” Yakubu said. “But I remain hopeful that democracy will soon return to those nations. We must continue to work together to strengthen our institutions and defend electoral integrity.”

A former President of the ECONEC Steering Committee, Yakubu also paid tribute to past leaders and members of the network for their contributions to credible elections and democratic development.

Yakubu, who was first appointed in 2015 and reappointed in 2020, is expected to conclude his tenure later this year.