Meet The New INEC Chairman, "May Agbamuche-Mbu".

May Agbamuche-Mbu.

May Agbamuche-Mbu, a National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has taken over as the acting chairman of the electoral body following the official handover by Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who proceeded on terminal leave.

The transition was announced on Tuesday during a stakeholders’ meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners at INEC headquarters in Abuja.

Yakubu, who had led the commission since 2015, formally passed the baton to Agbamuche-Mbu, positioning her to steer INEC’s affairs as momentum builds toward the 2027 general elections.

Key Facts About the New Acting INEC Chair:

Agbamuche-Mbu is a seasoned lawyer with more than three decades of professional experience.

Though originally from Delta State, she grew up in Kano and attended St. Louis Secondary School before earning her LLB from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) in 1984.

She was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1985 and later qualified as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales, adding global recognition to her credentials.

She holds an LLM in Commercial and Corporate Law from Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London, along with postgraduate degrees in International Dispute Resolution and International Business Law.

Agbamuche-Mbu is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK), Nigeria Branch, where she once served as secretary, highlighting her expertise in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).

Before joining INEC, she managed her law firm, Norfolk Partners, and made her mark in legal journalism as Editor of THISDAY LAWYER and author of the popular LEGAL EAGLE column between 2014 and 2016.