••Confusion surrounds the leadership of Nigeria’s electoral body as Sam Olumekun steps into an acting chairman role following unconfirmed reports of Mahmood Yakubu’s dismissal.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has a new acting chairman, Mr. Sam Olumekun. The former National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee was addressed as the acting INEC Chairman during a Wednesday meeting with the Labour Party leadership in Abuja.
This development comes on the heels of swirling speculation regarding the status of the current INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu. Earlier this week, unverified reports circulated claiming President Bola Tinubu had sacked Yakubu and appointed Professor Bashiru Olamilekan as his replacement.
While the presidency swiftly debunked these reports as “fake news,” the emergence of Mr. Olumekun in an acting capacity has fueled further uncertainty. Notably, Professor Yakubu had presided over INEC’s weekly meeting just yesterday, alongside Mr. Olumekun and other national commissioners.
The Labour Party delegation, led by Abia State Governor Dr. Alex Otti, met with the acting chairman at INEC headquarters. The reasons for this sudden change in leadership remain officially unconfirmed, leaving room for speculation and raising questions about the stability of Nigeria’s electoral body.
