ABUJA — President Bola Tinubu will preside over a meeting of the Council of State on Thursday, where he is expected to present the names of potential candidates to succeed Professor Mahmood Yakubu as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
This development comes as part of a broader agenda to be discussed at the meeting, which includes pressing national issues, institutional appointments, and governance reforms.
The President is also scheduled to chair a separate Police Council meeting on the same day. That session will focus on advancing discussions around the creation of state police forces and address key national security and policing challenges.
The Council of State is a constitutionally mandated advisory body and comprises:
- The President (Chairman)
- The Vice-President (Deputy Chairman)
- All former Presidents and former Heads of State
- All former Chief Justices of Nigeria
- The President of the Senate
- The Speaker of the House of Representatives
- All serving Governors
- The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation
The Council is tasked with advising the President on key matters, including appointments to sensitive national positions such as INEC Chairman, national honours, and prerogatives of mercy.
Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the current INEC Chairman, has served since November 2015, and his tenure is expected to come to an end in the coming months, prompting speculation over who will succeed him.
The upcoming meetings are seen as critical steps in shaping the country’s electoral future and enhancing internal security, as calls grow louder for reforms in both the electoral and policing systems.
