As the tenure of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, comes to an end this year, many Nigerians have begun to express concerns about who will succeed him and how the appointment process will be handled.
Some citizens, particularly in the North, shared their thoughts in separate interviews with The News Chronicle on Sunday.
While opinions varied, the common theme was the fear that political influence might undermine the independence of the electoral body.
Malam Abdullahi, one of the respondents, argued that the current system of allowing the President to appoint the INEC Chairman compromises the commission’s independence.
“I don’t want the President to appoint the INEC Chairman. This position should either be filled through an election by Nigerians themselves or by colleagues within the commission, since it is supposed to be independent,” he said.
“If the President is the one to appoint the INEC Chairman, people will believe he only chose someone he trusts and who will never disappoint him. That is why I suggest the Chairman should be elected, not appointed.”
Similarly, Mohammed W. Kagu, an academic staff member at Government Secondary School, Maiduguri, insisted that the electoral process, not political authority, should determine the next INEC boss.
“Election is the best way to choose a new INEC Chairman, not appointment. President Tinubu might decide to bring in a former judge or even one of his loyalists as Chairman. For me, I urge him to allow Nigerians to choose who will lead INEC,” Kagu said.
However, others emphasized the constitutional role of the President in making such appointments. Umar Abdullahi, a visiting lecturer at the Department of Political Science, Bauchi, explained that the law gives the President the power to nominate the INEC Chairman, subject to confirmation by the National Assembly.
“Only the President can determine who will be the next INEC boss, according to the Nigerian Constitution. The President will submit the name of his nominee to the National Assembly for confirmation,” he stated.
“So, Tinubu has the right to choose anyone he likes as the INEC Chairman.”
With Yakubu’s exit drawing closer, uncertainty surrounds who President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will nominate to lead the electoral body. While some Nigerians insist the process should be democratized to ensure fairness, others maintain that the constitution clearly empowers the President to make the choice.
The News Chronicle gathered that many Nigerians are eagerly awaiting the announcement, aware that whoever emerges as the next INEC Chairman will play a crucial role in shaping the country’s democratic journey.
