A coalition of Nigerian civil society organisations has raised alarm over President Bola Tinubu’s decision to nominate former electoral commission chair, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, for an ambassadorial post.
In a statement released on Tuesday in Abuja, the Civil Society Situation Room, through its Convener, Yunusa Ya’u, said the move poses “serious risks” to public confidence in the electoral process and could undermine democratic norms.
The coalition warned that the nomination creates the impression that electoral officials who favour incumbents might be rewarded with government appointments, thereby compromising INEC’s neutrality.
“This kind of precedent threatens the integrity of future elections,” the statement said. “If the election management body is perceived to be accountable to political actors, democratic credibility is fundamentally weakened.”
While acknowledging that Nigerian law does not prohibit such appointments, the group argued that democratic ethics demand that former election officials not immediately transition into roles offered by sitting political leaders.
The Situation Room urged the Senate to reject the nomination in order to preserve the independence of INEC and to maintain public trust in electoral governance.
The platform brings together dozens of civil society organisations engaged in promoting free, fair and transparent elections in Nigeria.
