The outgoing Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, may not retain his seat for a second tenure of 5 years, as his current term lapses on November 9th, 2020.
Yakubu who became a controversial figure associated with some of the worst elections ever conducted in the country, was hoping for a second term as head of the nation's electoral body, only for his name to go missing on the list President Muhammadu Buhari sent to the Senate for confirmation of commissioners of the electoral body.
The letter, dated October 12, 2020, was read during plenary by Senate President Ahmad Lawan on Tuesday.
By explicitly excluding his name, analysts believed that President Buhari had sent a strong signal of likely dropping Yakubu as INEC chairman.
The letter to the Senate reads: “Pursuant to Paragraph 14 of Part I (F) of the Third Schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended, I hereby forward for confirmation by the Senate, the appointment of the following four (4) Commissioners for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The nominees listed by the President are: Prof. Muhammad Sani Kallah (commissioner), Katsina; Lauretta Onochie, presidential aide on social media (commissioner), Delta; Prof. Kunle Cornelius Ajayi (commissioner), Ekiti; and Saidu Babura Ahmad (Resident Electoral Commissioner), Jigawa.
The five- year tenure of Yakubu and five national commissioners would lapse on November 9, and could get a second term if the president so wish.
According to Daily Trust, the omission of Yakubu is said to have caused confusion according to a source in INEC.
The source, who does not want to be named, said: “There appears to be some confusion here.
“Only one national commissioner is going for now from the North West, Hajiya Amina, but apparently two names were submitted from there.
“One should also be going from North Central but none was submitted from there,” he said.
He also said Buhari’s silence on Prof. Yakubu had left people in the dark.
“My understanding is if you are giving a member an extension, his name would still need to go through the same process as the first time.”