President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Mahmood Yakubu, a Professor of Political History and International Studies and former Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (ETF) as the new chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The appointment was confirmed at the emergency Council of State meeting held on Wednesday, October 21 by the president.
Sokoko State Governor Aminu Tambuwal, who briefed State House correspondents after the meeting, said the appointment of the new INEC boss was in line with relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution and in consultation with the Council of State.
Professor Yakubu who was born in Bauchi in 1962 had his early education at Kobi Primary School from where he proceeded to the Teachers’ College, Toro and later to the University of Sokoto (now Usman Danfodiyo University) where he graduated with a First Class Honours Degree in History, a feat which has remained unrivalled and unbroken till date as the first and only person from the whole of Northern Nigeria to have obtained a first class Honours Degree in History.
Yakubu later gained admission to the prestigious University of Oxford where he earned a Doctor of Philosophy Degree with specialization in Nigerian History at the age of 29 in 1991.
He was a recipient of the Bauchi State Government Scholarship to study at both the Cambridge and Oxford Universities in England and his outstanding intellectual artistry at Cambridge further earned him the Scholarship of the Cambridge Commonwealth Trust.
Professor Yakubu was a three time-time winner of the over Overseas Research Student (ORS) Award by the London-based Committee of Vice-Chancellors of United Kingdom (UK) Universities. He was also a proud recipient of the competitive Commonwealth Scholarship by the Association of Commonwealth Universities tenable at the University of Oxford.
In 2007, Professor Yakubu was appointed the Executive Secretary of the Education Trust Fund (ETF) now known as Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) in a bid to reposition its intervention towards achieving greater goals. As the first academic ever to head the funding Agency, Professor Yakubu , was passionately determined to effectively accomplish the overall transformation of the University system in Nigeria.
Professor Yakubu is also an expert in guerrilla warfare, terrorism and counter terrorism. He had served as Assistant Secretary, Finance and Administration of the 2014 National Conference.
He takes over from the Acting chairman of the Commission, Amina Zakari, who is now the INEC Commissioner representing the North-West.
The new positions and ratification by the council of state are as follows:
Professor Mahmood Yakubu (Bauchi) as chairman
The following were also appointed as INEC commissioners:
•Mrs Amina Zakari (Jigawa)–North-West
•Dr Antonla Taiye Okoosi (Kogi)–North-central
•Alhaji Baba Shettima Arfo (Borno)–North-east
•Dr Mohammed Mustafa (Edo)–South-south
•Mr Soyebi Adedeji Solomon (Ogun)—South-west
Meanwhile, the Council of State resolved that Ambassador Lawrence Nwuruku who is currently representing the South-east should remain.
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