As President of Nigeria, I won’t appoint past INEC chair as ambassador – Atiku

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticisedPresident Bola Tinubu’s nomination of the immediate past Chairman of theIndependent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, for anambassadorial position, saying he would never make such a move if he werepresident. Atiku, who contested the 2023 presidential election underthe Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said the decision raises “serious concerns”and risks being interpreted as a political reward rather than a merit-basedappointment. “Let me state without ambiguity: under no circumstance wouldI, as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, nominate the immediate pastINEC Chairman for an ambassadorial position,” Atiku wrote in a post on his Xaccount on Thursday. He argued that the nomination “presents terrible optics foran administration already struggling with credibility,” adding that it sendsthe wrong message to the electoral body. “It risks appearing as a quid pro quo rather than arecognition of merit. It sends the wrong message to the current @inecnigerialeadership; that partisan, compromised, or poorly executed elections mayultimately be rewarded,” he said. Atiku added that it was “morally indefensible” for anelectoral umpire at the centre of one of Nigeria’s most disputed elections tobecome a beneficiary of its outcome. “This is not the path to strengthening our democracy orrestoring public trust in our institutions,” he said. Meanwhile, President Tinubu’s nomination of Yakubu iscurrently awaiting legislative consideration.

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