Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the nomination of former INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu for an ambassadorial appointment, calling it a dangerous signal for Nigeria’s democracy.
Yakubu was recently listed among more than 30 individuals President Bola Tinubu forwarded to the Senate for ambassadorial screening.
But Atiku, reacting via his 𝕏 account on Thursday, said the decision raises troubling questions about the administration’s judgment and commitment to electoral integrity.
The 2023 PDP presidential candidate argued that appointing the nation’s immediate past chief electoral umpire to such a high-profile diplomatic position risks creating the impression of political compensation rather than genuine merit.
According to him, the message this sends to the current INEC leadership is particularly alarming.
“At no point, if I were President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, would I nominate the outgoing INEC Chairman for an ambassadorial role,” Atiku declared. He added that the move “raises serious concerns” and “appears more like a quid pro quo than a reward for excellence.”
He further stressed that the nomination is damaging for an administration already battling credibility issues, noting that it wrongly suggests that flawed, biased, or poorly managed elections could be rewarded instead of scrutinized.
“Most importantly,” Atiku continued, “it is morally indefensible for an umpire at the centre of one of the most disputed elections in our history to become a beneficiary of its outcome.”
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He concluded that such political decisions undermine efforts to build public trust and weaken ongoing attempts to strengthen democratic institutions.
