INEC Chairman Resigns Hours to 2027 Elections

In a shocking development that could throw Nigeria’s electoral roadmap into uncertainty, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has reportedly tendered his resignation less than 48 hours to the official kickoff of pre-election voter registration activities for the 2027 general elections.

A confidential memo obtained by Dobblog from a source within the Commission shows that Yakubu submitted his resignation late Friday evening, citing “irreconcilable policy interference, personal threats, and systemic sabotage.”

“The environment no longer supports the independence of the electoral commission. I cannot in good conscience continue to preside over a compromised process,” the INEC chairman allegedly wrote in the leaked resignation letter.

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As of Saturday morning, the Federal Government has not issued any formal confirmation, and INEC’s official social media accounts remain silent. However, top staffers at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja have begun urgent closed-door meetings, fueling speculation of an imminent announcement.

Sources close to the chairman say the resignation was triggered by mounting pressure from top political players attempting to influence voter boundary realignments and internal deployment of returning officers a move that Yakubu had resisted repeatedly.

According to a whistleblower within INEC, powerful forces from both the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) were “relentlessly lobbying and threatening” INEC commissioners over zoning arrangements and early ballot distribution plans in the North-West and South-East.

A senior electoral officer, who requested anonymity, said:

“Yakubu has been under pressure for months. He was asked to compromise key data and it reached a breaking point last week. He packed up his files on Thursday and has not returned to his office since.”

Presidential spokesman Mallam Lawal Idris denied the reports in a brief press release early Saturday:

“Professor Yakubu remains INEC Chairman. The Presidency is not aware of any resignation. Nigerians should disregard politically motivated rumors.”

However, Dobblog confirmed that Yakubu did not attend Friday’s closed-door strategy session at the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), which was meant to finalize logistics and security protocols ahead of the 2027 election cycle kickoff.

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If confirmed, Yakubu’s resignation would trigger an emergency appointment of a new INEC chairman by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, subject to Senate approval. Analysts believe the President may push for Professor Fatima Suleiman, a Northern technocrat and current INEC National Commissioner for Voter Education, to take over in an acting capacity.

The opposition PDP has already released a statement demanding full transparency over the matter, warning against “any attempt to appoint a partisan figure who will tilt the 2027 election in favor of the APC.”

The resignation could delay INEC’s release of its final electoral timetable and voter registration guidelines, originally scheduled for next week.

Dr. Richard Akande, an election observer with the Center for Democratic Stability, said:

“This is a constitutional crisis in the making. INEC must not be thrown into confusion this close to election activities. The credibility of 2027 is already in doubt.”

Dobblog will continue to follow this developing story and provide timely updates as more facts emerge.