Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for nominating the immediate past Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmud Yakubu, for an ambassadorial appointment, describing the move as a reward for a “compromised electoral umpire.”
In a statement issued on Thursday, Atiku said he would never nominate the former INEC boss for such a sensitive role if he were President, noting that the decision conveyed troubling political signals.
According to him, Prof. Yakubu’s nomination “presents terrible optics for an administration already struggling with credibility,” adding that it sends a dangerous message to the current INEC leadership, that “partisan, compromised, or poorly executed elections may ultimately be rewarded.”
Atiku, who contested the highly disputed 2023 presidential election supervised by Yakubu, argued that it is morally indefensible for the chief umpire of one of Nigeria’s most controversial elections to benefit from its outcome.
He warned that the appointment “raises serious concerns” and may be perceived as a quid pro quo, rather than a merit-based selection.
President Tinubu forwarded Yakubu’s name to the Senate on November 27 for confirmation as ambassador, months after he completed his tenure as INEC chairman.
Also on the nomination list is Ayodele Oke, former Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), who was previously embroiled in a national scandal involving the discovery of a large stash of cash in an apartment in Lagos.
