A lawyer, Goddy Uwazurike, has faulted President Bola Tinubu’s nomination of Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the immediate past Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as an ambassador.

Uwazurike, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Friday, said it makes no sense that Yakubu’s name would appear on the list.

Yakubu is part of a batch of 32 ambassadorial nominees recently forwarded to the Senate for screening and confirmation. Other nominees include former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode and former Enugu Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. The presidency has said the nominees are being considered for both career and non-career ambassadorial postings, with appointments confirmed only after Senate approval.

Professor Yakubu served as INEC chairman from 2015 to 2025, having been appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari. His tenure saw the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System for voter verification and the Results Viewing Portal to allow instant public access to polling unit results. He also institutionalised continuous registration and updates of voter records, departing from the previous practice of registration only before elections. (Channels TV)