The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on President Bola Tinubu to make public the process for appointing a successor to Professor Mahmood Yakubu, whose tenure as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ends in November 2025.
In a letter dated September 27, 2025, and signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation stressed that the selection of Yakubu’s replacement “cannot and should not be a closed shop,” urging the president to adopt a transparent and accountable procedure in line with constitutional requirements.
SERAP specifically asked the president to disclose the number and names of candidates being considered for the position and whether the Council of State has been or would be consulted before the appointment, as provided in the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The group also urged Tinubu to revisit the appointment of at least three Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) alleged to be members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and replace them with non-partisan individuals.
“There is a strong correlation between transparency in the selection and appointment process of the INEC chairman and the ability of the commission to perform its constitutional and statutory duties independently and impartially,” SERAP noted.
The organisation argued that openness in the appointment process would strengthen public trust in INEC, enhance electoral credibility, and ensure that competent and impartial individuals are chosen to manage the nation’s electoral system.
Highlighting provisions of the Constitution and the Electoral Act 2022, SERAP reminded the president that the independence and impartiality of INEC remain critical to the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria.
The letter further reads:
- “Secrecy in the selection and appointment process would undermine INEC’s independence, autonomy, and accountability.”
- “Anyone to be appointed as INEC chairman must be non-partisan, independent, impartial, and neutral.”
- “Public perception of the commission’s independence is essential for building confidence in the electoral process.”
SERAP warned that failure to adopt transparency in the process could lead to legal action against the federal government in the public interest.
Professor Yakubu, who first assumed office in 2015, will bow out in November after serving the maximum two terms of five years each. His successor, to be nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate, is expected to take over immediately.
