Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has strongly criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for nominating the immediate past Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Atiku said the appointment sends a troubling signal to the current electoral leadership.
According to him, Tinubu’s decision implies that electoral misconduct, questionable judgment, or poorly managed elections may ultimately be rewarded rather than discouraged.
His statement read:
“Let me be clear: If I were President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I would never consider the former INEC Chairman for an ambassadorial role.
“This type of nomination raises red flags. It risks being perceived as a return favor instead of recognition based on integrity or performance. For an administration already grappling with public trust issues, it further damages its image.
“It sends a dangerous message to the current @inecnigeria leadership—that partisanship, compromise, or poorly conducted elections may lead to personal benefits.
“Most importantly, it is ethically unacceptable for someone who presided over one of the most disputed elections in our national history to be rewarded afterward.
“This is not how to strengthen our democracy or rebuild confidence in our public institutions.”
Earlier in the week, President Tinubu officially put forward Yakubu’s name for an ambassadorial appointment.
Many Nigerians have reacted, alleging that the move may be compensation for the role Yakubu played in the controversial 2023 presidential election.
Yakubu stepped down in October 2025 after overseeing some of Nigeria’s most contentious electoral cycles.
He was first appointed in 2015 and reappointed in 2020, supervising the 2019 and 2023 general elections along with many off-cycle polls.
During his tenure, INEC introduced major innovations such as the BVAS (Bimodal Voter Accreditation System) and the iReV (INEC Result Viewing Portal), both aimed at improving transparency and restoring trust in the electoral process.
