After five years tenure, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission , Prof . Mahmood Yakubu , will on Monday (today ) begin a fresh term .
He was reappointed by the President , Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd ), making him the first INEC chairman to have his tenure extended by another five years .
Yakubu will be handing over to himself at a ceremony to be conducted at the Conference Room of INEC in Maitama area of Abuja .
Since the onset of presidential system of government 41 years ago in 1979 , Nigeria has had nine chairmen of the electoral umpire under different names , including Federal Electoral Commission popularly known as FEDECO ; National Electoral Commission ; National Electoral Commission of Nigeria and INEC in succession .
The chairmen were Michael Ani , Victor Ovie – Whiskey , Eme Awa , Humphrey Nwosu , Ephraim Akpata , Abel Guobadia , Maurice Iwu, Attahiru Jega , and Yakubu .
Opinions had however been divided on the reappointment of Yakubu for another five years .
A Professor of Law and former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission , Chidi Anselm Odinkalu , believed that five years as INEC chair was enough .
He said , “ In my own estimation , anyone who does the job of INEC chair conscientiously for a full five years would not want to return for a second term . . ”
