Power brokers clash as Tinubu chooses Yakubu’s successor

…Aso Rock weighs loyalty, competence in the final decision

Daud Olatunji

Intense lobbying among political heavyweights has gripped Aso Rock as President Bola Tinubu finalizes the appointment of a new chairman for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Barring last minute adjustments, the President is expected to present his preferred candidate, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, to the National Council of State for approval today at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Professor Amupitan, a renowned legal scholar and current Vice Chancellor (Administration) of the University of Jos, hails from Aiyetoro-Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of ​​Kogi State. He specializes in corporate law, governance and evidence law and is said to have “passed security checks with distinction”.

The development comes barely a month before Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s tenure as INEC Chairman expires.

Yakubu was formally handed over to the senior national commissioner, Dame May Agbamuche-Mbu, on Tuesday, marking the start of the transition process.

Lobbying, pressure support in Aso Rock

Multiple sources confirmed to PLATFORM TIMES that the race to replace Yakubu has generated significant interest among political actors, former election officials and power brokers.

The names of at least three contenders would have been proposed by influential figures close to the corridors of power. However, President Tinubu is said to have resisted external pressure and maintained a “calculated and independent approach”.

“The President knows how sensitive this appointment is,” revealed a senior source in the Presidency.

“He is balancing loyalty with competence. He wants someone who can run INEC independently but who will also protect the integrity of his administration.”

The source added that Tinubu was determined to avoid the controversy that followed former President Muhammadu Buhari’s delayed appointment of a prominent INEC chairman in 2015, which attracted criticism for alleged nepotism and indecisiveness.

Tinubu seeks to avoid Buhari’s 2015 misstep

In 2015, following the exit of Professor Attahiru Jega, Buhari appointed Mrs Amina Zakari, a relative, as the Acting Chairperson of INEC, a move which sparked outrage and delayed the final confirmation of Professor Mahmood Yakubu by almost four months.

“This time, the president doesn’t want any leadership vacuum,” another insider noted. “He believes that INEC’s credibility is critical to Nigeria’s democratic image and its own political legacy.”

The APC Chairman is consulted but keeps his distance

It was learned that the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, who once served as the Resident Electoral Commissioner of Benue State, was consulted during the screening process.

However, insiders said Yilwatda offered “institutional advice” and any interference was avoided to avoid negative optics.

“He didn’t want it to seem like the party was imposing anyone on the president,” a presidency official said.

The Legacy of Tinubu Eyes Credibility

Analysts believe Tinubu’s handling of the INEC leadership transition could define his democratic legacy.

“History will remember him either as the president who restored credibility to the elections or as the one who compromised them,” said a political analyst in Abuja.

Past leaders such as General Abdulsalami Abubakar and Dr Goodluck Jonathan, the analyst noted, have earned global respect for overseeing credible transitions – a precedent Tinubu is keen to emulate.

Yakubu’s exit sparks a quiet controversy

Meanwhile, PLATFORM TIMES has learned that Yakubu’s early handover may have been prompted by behind-the-scenes disagreements.
INEC’s recent registration of several new political parties has reportedly angered a sitting governor of the South East, who accused the commission of approving a party allegedly linked to his political rival.

Presidency sources hinted that the situation “accelerated Yakubu’s quiet exit” to prevent further political tensions.

If the National Council of State gives its nod today, Professor Amupitan is expected to be officially announced as Nigeria’s new INEC chairman by the end of the week, marking the start of a new era for the nation’s electorate.

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