Council of State meets Thursday
Isaac Samuel
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected to meet with members of the Council of State on Thursday as part of consultations ahead of the possible appointment of a new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to a statement issued on Monday by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), signed by Director Information and Public Relations, Segun Imohiosen, the strategic meeting, scheduled for October 9, will be held at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja at 1.00pm.
The President will also be meeting with the Police Council at 2.00pm to discuss security related matters.
While the official statement noted that the session of the Council of State will focus on matters of national importance, it was gathered that the consultations are also linked to the process of nominating a new electoral chief.
“According to the Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Affairs Office, Dr. Emanso Okop Umobong, the meeting aims to discuss matters of national importance and key issues affecting national security and policing. Members are requested to participate either physically or virtually.
“This high-level meeting underscores President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to addressing pressing national issues and ensuring the safety and security of citizens”, the statement said.
The current INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu is expected to end his two-term tenure of 10 years in the first week of December 2025.
Yakubu was first appointed as INEC chair in 2015 by President Muhammadu Buhari.
He was reappointed by President Buhari after his first tenure lapsed in 2020 and He was reappointed by President Buhari after his first tenure lapsed in 2020 and sworn in on December, 1, 2020.
No INEC Chairman has served two terms since the establishment of the commission.
Under the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the President is empowered to appoint the INEC Chairman, subject to Senate confirmation. Section 154 (1) states:
“Except in the case of ex officio members or where other provisions are made in this Constitution, the Chairman and members of any of the bodies so established shall, subject to the provisions of this Constitution, be appointed by the President and the appointment shall be subject to confirmation by the Senate.”
It further provides in Section 154 (3) that: “In exercising his powers to appoint a person as Chairman or member of the Independent National Electoral Commission, National Judicial Service Council, the Federal Judicial Service Commission or the National Population Commission, the President shall consult the Council of State.”
Paragraph 14 of Part I of the Third Schedule further stipulates that the appointee must be a person “of unquestionable integrity” and not less than 50 years of age.
The Council of State is a constitutional advisory body established under Section 153 of the 1999 Constitution to counsel the President on critical national matters.
It is chaired by the President, with the Vice President serving as deputy chairman. Other members include all former Presidents and Heads of State, all former Chief Justices of Nigeria, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, all state governors, and the Attorney-General of the Federation.
The Council’s mandate covers a wide range of issues, from advising the President on matters such as national population census, prerogative of mercy, and national honours, to offering counsel on sensitive appointments like the Chairman and members of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Although its recommendations are not legally binding, they are considered highly influential in shaping the President’s decisions.
Names already being speculated as possible successors include Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN), Justice Abdullahi Mohammed Liman of the Court of Appeal; a retired professor at the University of Lagos and former INEC National Commissioner, Prof. Lai Olurode; a former Director of Procurement at INEC, Kenneth Ukeagu; the current INEC National Commissioner for Information and Voter Education, Sam Olumekun; and Prof. Bashiru Olamilekan.
The development comes amid mounting calls by stakeholders for far-reaching reforms to the appointment process of the electoral commission.
Political parties under the aegis of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), yesterday alongside several civil society organisations, urged the National Assembly to strip the President of the power to appoint the INEC chairman and other top officials of the commission.
They argued that entrusting the responsibility to an independent panel would enhance the neutrality and credibility of the electoral body, bolster public confidence, and reduce political interference in the conduct of elections.
Since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999, the electoral body has been headed by four chairmen, including the incumbent, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
President Olusegun Obasanjo (South-west) appointed Abel Guobadia (South-south) and Maurice Iwu (South-east).
President Goodluck Jonathan (South-south) appointed Attahiru Jega (North-west), and President Muhammadu Buhari (North-west) appointed Yakubu (North-east).
