President Muhammadu Buhari has sworn-in Professor Mahmood Yakubu as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
The swearing-in ceremony took place at the Council Chambers of the State House in Abuja, briefly before the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting commenced on Wednesday.
Professor Mahmood Yakubu will be the INEC Chairman for his second five-year term.
Yakubu while addressing journalists’ said preparations were already ongoing on how to ensure smooth elections in 2023.
He noted that INEC had, in collaboration with the National Assembly, commenced a process of delivering an amended electoral legal framework in record time.
“We have clearly demonstrated in recent elections that elections are getting better and they will continue to get better,” he said.
“The National Assembly is holding a public hearing on the amendment of the electoral legal framework. This is important and this time around, working with the National Assembly, we’ll ensure a speedy passage of the amendment bill and once it is assented to, it will help us enormously in confronting the challenges ahead.
“The preparations for 2023 general elections have proceeded in earnest, we need certainty and therefore the electoral legal framework is fundamental, without which we cannot formulate our regulations and guidelines. Without our regulations and guidelines, we cannot conclude work on the manual for the training of ad-hoc staff for the elections.
“So from here, I am going to proceed to the National Assembly, so work begins in earnest and we have already started.”
The INEC chairman also received his appointment letter from the Permanent Secretary, General Services Office, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Dr. Maurice Nnamdi Mbaeri, on Wednesday.
Buhari renominated Yakubu for another five-year term on October 27.
He is the first chairman to be reappointed to head the commission.
