By Onyeanya Ebere Immaculata
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), has urged President Bola Tinubu to make public the process for appointing the next Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), warning of legal action if the process lacks transparency.
In a letter dated September 27, 2025, signed by Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP demanded disclosure of the number and names of candidates being considered and whether the Council of State has been or will be consulted, as required by the Constitution.
President Tinubu is set to appoint a successor to Professor Mahmood Yakubu, whose 10-year tenure ends in November 2025, pending Senate confirmation.
Yakubu, who assumed office in 2015, oversaw the 2019 and 2023 general elections, and his exit marks a crucial transition ahead of the 2027 polls.
SERAP also urged the president to review the appointment of at least three alleged APC members as Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs), and replace them with non-partisan individuals.
Citing Section 154(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the group reminded the presidency that the INEC chairman must be independent, impartial, and credible.
“Secrecy in the selection process would violate the Constitution and Nigeria’s international obligations,” SERAP warned, giving the government seven days to act or face a lawsuit.
