The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has named Mr. Sam Olumekun as its acting chairman, Naija News reports.
Olumekun currently serves as the National Commissioner and heads the Information and Voter Education Committee of the Commission.
His temporary elevation to acting chairman was noted during a meeting held on Wednesday between INEC and leaders of the Labour Party. The development follows the absence of the Commission’s substantive chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who is currently in The Gambia attending a meeting of the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC).
Although Olumekun’s designation is in an acting capacity, it has sparked interest and speculation—especially given that Professor Yakubu is nearing the conclusion of his tenure, which constitutionally spans five years. Yakubu initially assumed office on November 9, 2015, and was reappointed in 2020 by former President Muhammadu Buhari, making him the first INEC chairman to serve two terms.
Under Section 157 of the Nigerian Constitution, the INEC chairman can only be removed by the president with the approval of a two-thirds majority in the Senate. As such, any replacement outside the constitutional process would raise legal and political concerns.
Meanwhile, a viral message circulated on WhatsApp earlier in the week falsely claimed that President Bola Tinubu had replaced Yakubu with one Prof. Bashiru Olamilekan. The message, which lacked verification or attribution to any official source, read: “INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu has been replaced with Prof. Bashiru Olamilekan by President Tinubu.”
Reacting swiftly to the misinformation, O’tega Ogra, Senior Special Assistant to President Tinubu on Digital and New Media, dismissed the claim as baseless. In a post shared on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, he labeled the report as “fake news.”
While Professor Yakubu is still recognized as the substantive chairman of INEC, his tenure is expected to conclude later this year, barring any extension or reappointment by the current administration. Until his return from the ECONEC engagement, Mr. Sam Olumekun will steer the affairs of the Commission in an acting capacity.
