The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced May Agbamuche-Mbu as its acting chairman following the completion of Mahmood Yakubu’s tenure, marking a new phase in the leadership of Nigeria’s electoral body.
Agbamuche-Mbu, who is from Delta State and the South-South geopolitical zone, is the most senior National Commissioner in the Commission, according to information posted on the commission’s website.
Her elevation follows INEC’s internal succession procedure, which mandates the most senior Commissioner to assume leadership in an acting capacity pending the appointment of a substantive Chairman.
A legal practitioner with more than 30 years of professional experience, Agbamuche-Mbu is widely regarded as a thorough administrator and reform advocate.
Born in Kano State Agbamuche-Mbu began her early education at St. Louis Secondary School before earning a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) in 1984. She was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1985.
She later advanced her studies abroad, qualifying as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales at the College of Law, London, and earning an LL.M. in Commercial and Corporate Law from Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London. She also holds postgraduate degrees in International Dispute Resolution and International Business Law.
A member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK), Nigeria Branch, Agbamuche-Mbu once served as its Secretary and is recognised as an expert in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). She has served in several national capacities, including as the sole solicitor on the Presidential Projects Assessment Committee (PPAC) from 2010 to 2011, where she was involved in assessing key infrastructure projects across the country.
She was also a member of the 2016 Ministerial Committee that developed the Road Map for the Solid Minerals Sector.
Before her appointment in INEC in 2016, Agbamuche-Mbu was the Managing Partner of Norfolk Partners, a Lagos-based law firm. She also made notable contributions to legal journalism as the Editor of THISDAY Lawyer, where she authored the widely followed column “Legal Eagle,” publishing more than 120 thought-provoking editorials between 2014 and 2016.
Known for her integrity and commitment to institutional reform, Agbamuche-Mbu has been described by colleagues as a stabilising figure within the Commission.
Her appointment has been met with calm acceptance among staff and stakeholders. A senior official at the INEC Headquarters in Abuja said the handover was “expected,” adding that “Mrs. Agbamuche-Mbu has the experience and temperament to ensure continuity and stability at this crucial time.”
With her assumption of duty, attention now shifts to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is expected to appoint a substantive Chairman to steer INEC’s affairs ahead of upcoming electoral activities.
