The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on President Bola Tinubu to make public the process for selecting the next Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as the tenure of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu is set to end in November 2025.

SERAP urged the President to disclose the number and names of candidates being considered, and whether the Council of State has been or will be consulted, in line with constitutional provisions.

The organisation also advised Tinubu to use the opportunity to review the status of at least three Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) alleged to be members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and replace them with non-partisan nominees.

Yakubu will complete his second five-year term in November, after which the President is expected to appoint a successor subject to Senate confirmation.

In a letter signed at the weekend by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP stressed that the selection process “cannot and should not be a closed shop” but must be transparent and accountable to serve the public interest.

The group argued that openness in the appointment would directly impact INEC’s independence and impartiality. “There is a strong correlation between transparency in the selection and appointment process of the INEC chairman and the ability of the commission to perform its constitutional and statutory duties independently,” SERAP said.

It added that transparency would boost public confidence in INEC’s neutrality and encourage citizens’ participation in the electoral process.