The Outgoing Chairman of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, bid farewell to his counterparts across West Africa on Thursday, urging renewed dedication to regional collaboration among election management bodies.
Yakubu made the remarks at the extraordinary general assembly of the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC) in Banjul, Gambia, marking his final appearance at the forum as INEC chairman.
His participation came amid rising rumors of his removal from office by President Bola Tinubu. These speculations were fueled on Wednesday when Labour Party officials met with Sam Olumekun, the acting chairman, at INEC’s Abuja headquarters.
However, Yakubu had already dismissed such rumors by overseeing the Commission’s weekly management meeting on Tuesday. His Chief Press Secretary, Rotimi Oyekanmi, clarified that Yakubu was in Gambia attending the ECONEC event, and Olumekun was merely acting in his absence.
In his speech, Yakubu emphasized the vital role electoral commissions play in protecting democracy across the region. He expressed concern over the setbacks in democratic progress in West Africa, pointing out that while all ECOWAS nations were democratic in 2017, four now have non-democratic governments.
“Sadly, that is no longer the case,” Yakubu remarked. “But I remain hopeful that democracy will soon return to those nations. We must continue to work together to strengthen our institutions and defend electoral integrity.”
Yakubu, who previously served as the President of the ECONEC Steering Committee, also paid tribute to former members of the network, recognizing their contributions to fostering credible elections and democratic governance.
Yakubu’s term, which began in 2015 and was extended in 2020, is expected to end later this year.
