Obono-Obla : Tinubu Did not Sack INEC Chairman

Obono-Obla: Tinubu Did Not Sack INEC Chairman

 

 

 

Chief Okoi Obono-Obla, former Chairman of the Special Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property, has debunked claims circulating on some online platforms that President Bola Tinubu removed Professor Mahmood Yakubu as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

 

In a statement released on Thursday, Obono-Obla described the reports as false, misleading, and legally untenable, stressing that credible outlets such as Patriotic Insights News have not made such claims.

 

“It is both infantile and puerile to witness blazing headlines suggesting that the President has directed the INEC Chairman to proceed on terminal leave ahead of the expiration of his tenure on October 18, 2025. Today is September 25—barely three weeks to the constitutionally mandated end of Professor Yakubu’s second term,” he said.

 

Obono-Obla explained that asking a public officer to proceed on leave while their tenure is ending cannot be construed as a sack.

 

He further outlined the constitutional procedure for removing the INEC Chairman, noting that the President lacks unilateral power to act. “If the Chairman commits any act warranting removal, the President must present an address to the Senate detailing the allegations. Removal requires the support of two-thirds of the 109 senators—73 votes—to take effect,” he said.

 

Citing Section 157(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Obono-Obla emphasized that the law provides strict safeguards for INEC officials’ tenure.

 

“Therefore, any narrative suggesting that the President sacked Professor Yakubu without following constitutional procedure is misleading and legally untenable,” he concluded.