Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the outgoing chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), may not retain his seat for a second tenure of five years, after his name was reportedly omitted from a list sent to the senate by President Muhammadu Buhari recently.
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Yakubu, whose current term elapses on November 9, 2020, was said to have been hoping for a second term as head of the country’s electoral body.
The letter dated October 12, 2020, was read during plenary by senate president, Ahmad Lawan, on Tuesday.
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It is said that Buhari has sent a strong message to the INEC chairman, by not sending his name to the upper chamber.
The letter to the senate reads: “Pursuant to Paragraph 14 of Part I (F) of the Third Schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended, I hereby forward for confirmation by the Senate, the appointment of the following four (4) Commissioners for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
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The nominees listed by Buhari are: Professor Muhammad Sani Kallah as commissioner from Katsina; Lauretta Onochie as commissioner from Delta; Professor Kunle Cornelius Ajayi, also as commissioner from Ekiti, and Saidu Babura Ahmad as Resident Electoral Commissioner from Jigawa State.
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Daily Trust reports that the five-year tenure of Yakubu and five national commissioners will expire on November 9, and could get a second term if the president so wish.
However, the publication quotes a source within INEC as saying the omission of Yakubu’s name has caused confusion.
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“There appears to be some confusion here.
“Only one national commissioner is going for now from the North West, Hajiya Amina, but apparently two names were submitted from there.
“One should also be going from North Central but none was submitted from there.
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“My understanding is if you are giving a member an extension, his name would still need to go through the same process as the first time,” the source was quoted as saying.
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