Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar condemned President Bola Tinubu’s nomination of ex-INEC chairman Mahmud Yakubu for an ambassadorial post, alleging it rewards an election-rigging umpire. Tinubu nominated Yakubu on November 27, prompting Abubakar, his 2023 election rival, to describe the move as “bad optics.”
Abubakar stated he would never make such a nomination, calling it “morally indefensible” for an umpire of “one of the most disputed elections” to benefit from its outcome. He warned it sends a wrong message to current INEC leadership, risking appearance as a “quid pro quo.”