President Bola Tinubu has conferred the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) on Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the immediate-past chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in recognition of his service to Nigeria and his role in strengthening the nation’s democracy.

The honour came as Professor Yakubu concluded his second term in office as the head of the electoral body.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed that Tinubu has formally accepted Yakubu’s exit from office and commended his dedication to credible elections during his tenure.

“President Tinubu thanked Professor Yakubu for his services to the nation and his efforts to sustain Nigeria’s democracy, particularly through the organisation of free and fair elections throughout his two-term tenure,” Onanuga stated.

He added that the President’s gesture was a mark of appreciation for Yakubu’s “contributions to the nation” and his “commitment to democratic governance.”

“In recognition of Yakubu’s dedicated service to the nation, President Tinubu has bestowed on him the honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger,” the statement read.

The President has also directed that May Agbamuche-Mbu, the most senior National Commissioner at INEC, take over in an acting capacity pending the appointment of a substantive chairman.

“President Tinubu also directed that Professor Yakubu should hand over to the most senior national commissioner, May Agbamuche-Mbu, who will direct the affairs of the commission until the completion of the process to appoint a successor,” Onanuga added.

Professor Yakubu was first appointed in November 2015 as the 14th Chairman of the commission and reappointed for a second term in 2020.

His tenure was marked by major electoral reforms and the introduction of technological innovations such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), which aimed to enhance transparency and credibility in Nigeria’s electoral process

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