President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officially accepted the departure of Professor Mahmood Yakubu as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following the completion of his second term in office.

The President conferred on him the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) and commended him for his role in ensuring credible elections during his tenure.

In his place, President Tinubu appointed May Agbamuche-Mbu as the Acting Chairman of INEC.

Agbamuche-Mbu, a seasoned legal practitioner with over 30 years of experience, hails from Delta State but was born in Kano, where she attended St. Louis Secondary School. She earned her LLB in Law from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) in 1984 and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1985. She later qualified as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales after attending the College of Law, London.

Her academic credentials include an LLM in Commercial and Corporate Law from Queen Mary and Westfield College, London, as well as postgraduate qualifications in International Dispute Resolution and International Business Law.

Agbamuche-Mbu is also an expert in Alternative Dispute Resolution and a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK), Nigeria branch, where she once served as Secretary.

She has held key public service roles, including serving on the Presidential Projects Assessment Committee (PPAC) between 2010 and 2011, where she evaluated unfinished public projects across the country. In 2016, she was also appointed to the Ministerial Committee that drafted the Road Map for Nigeria’s Solid Minerals Sector.

Before joining INEC as a National Commissioner, Agbamuche-Mbu was the Managing Partner at Norfolk Partners, a Lagos-based law firm, and also served as Editor of THISDAY LAWYER. Between 2014 and 2016, she published 120 legal editorials under her weekly column LEGAL EAGLE, contributing significantly to national discourse.

Her consistent engagement with public affairs and legal advocacy has earned her recognition as a thought leader on both national and international issues.

With her new appointment, Agbamuche-Mbu now assumes the role of Acting Chairman of INEC, where she is expected to steer the electoral body in line with democratic principles and national expectations.