President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday presided over a meeting of the Council of State at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where he presented three nominees for consideration as the next Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The hybrid meeting, which came barely 48 hours after Prof. Mahmood Yakubu completed his 10-year tenure as INEC Chairman, a period that spanned two administrations and three general elections.
According to the draft agenda obtained before the session went into a closed-door discussion, the President submitted the names of Prof. Joash Amupitan, Justice Abdullahi Mohammed Liman, and Prof. Lai Olurede for the Council’s consideration as possible successors to Yakubu.
The three nominees drawn from the legal and academic communities are being assessed based on their integrity, institutional knowledge, and capacity to steer Nigeria’s electoral body ahead of the 2027 general elections.
It was gathered that at least five candidates had earlier undergone background checks conducted by the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies before the final shortlist was presented to the Council.
Among those attending the meeting physically were Vice President Kashim Shettima, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), and Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Also present were Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, and several state governors, with others represented by their deputies.
Former Heads of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.) and Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (retd.), joined the meeting virtually, while former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan were yet to join at the time of filing this report.
The Council of State, established under Section 153 of the 1999 Constitution, serves as an advisory body to the President on crucial national matters, including the appointment of key officials such as the INEC Chairman, members of the National Population Commission, and the National Judicial Council.
Today’s gathering marks the second Council of State meeting under the Tinubu administration. The first was held in August 2024, following a wave of nationwide protests over economic hardship.
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