In a brief ceremony held at INEC headquarters on Tuesday, Yakubu formally transferred leadership to May Agbamuche-Mbu, an INEC Commissioner who will serve as Acting Chairman. The handover took place in the presence of Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) and senior officials.
Yakubu’s departure comes a month ahead of his scheduled exit, following a directive from President Bola Tinubu. During a meeting with RECs on Tuesday, he announced his decision to leave office after being informed of the succession arrangements.
The outgoing chairman served two consecutive five-year terms, having been first appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari on October 21, 2015, and sworn in on November 9, 2015. He was reappointed for a second term in December 2020, which was originally set to expire in early December 2025.