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Summary
May Agbamuche-Mbu has assumed office as the Acting Chairperson of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). She succeeds Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who stepped down to proceed on terminal leave.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced a leadership transition as Professor Mahmood Yakubu formally handed over to May Agbamuche-Mbu, who now serves as the Acting National Chairperson of the Commission.
May Agbamuche-Mbu, INEC’s longest-serving National Commissioner, took over on October 7, 2025, during a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
Professor Mahmood, who is proceeding on terminal leave, explained during the handover that the transition aligns with Section 306, Subsections 1 and 2 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
“In recognition of the significant challenges ahead, and having had the honour of serving the Commission for the past 10 years, with only a few weeks remaining in my tenure, I have made a decision,” he stated.
May Agbamuche-Mbu’s appointment follows standard administrative procedure, which allows the most senior National Commissioner to assume leadership temporarily.
The handover ceremony was witnessed by INEC National Commissioners, directors, and senior staff, marking the beginning of a new administrative phase for Nigeria’s electoral body. May, who represents Delta State on the Commission, will oversee INEC’s affairs until a substantive chairperson is appointed by President Bola Tinubu.
A lawyer and certified arbitrator with over three decades of professional experience, May Agbamuche-Mbu has served as an INEC National Commissioner since 2016 and was reappointed in 2021 for a second term. She has played key roles in election monitoring, legal compliance, and stakeholder engagement initiatives.
Before joining INEC, she was the Managing Partner at Norfolk Partners, a Lagos-based law firm. She also served as the sole solicitor to the Presidential Projects Assessment Committee between 2010 and 2011, and later joined the Ministerial Committee that drafted the Roadmap for the Solid Minerals Sector in 2016.
Between 2014 and 2016, she authored over 120 editions of the “Legal Eagle” column in THISDAY Lawyer, addressing issues of law, governance, and policy.
Her appointment marks a new chapter in INEC’s leadership as the Commission continues efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral process and deepen democratic governance.
