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BREAKING: Tinubu Directs INEC Chairman Yakubu To Immediately Proceed On Leave For ‘Betraying APC,’ Set To Nominate Successor
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reportedly directed the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to proceed on leave ahead of the expiration of his tenure.
Insider sources say the move comes in response to what they described as Mahmood’s “last-minute betrayal” of the All Progressives Congress government that appointed him.
Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma reportedly met with President Tinubu shortly after the president returned from a 12-day working vacation, alleging that Mahmood’s efforts to register new political parties at the end of his tenure had disrupted Tinubu’s preparations for a second term.
The governor also claimed that Mahmood was covertly backing a candidate in the Imo State governorship election.
Following this briefing, Tinubu reportedly requested that Mahmood suspend all official duties and proceed on terminal leave.
The decision has thrown the commission’s schedule into disarray, leading to the abrupt cancellation of Mahmood’s final quarterly consultative meeting with political parties, as well as a planned session with civil society organisations.
Tinubu is now expected to submit the name of a new INEC Chairman to the National Assembly in the coming days.
Mahmood was appointed to office by then-President Muhammadu Buhari on October 21, 2015, succeeding acting chairperson, Amina Zakari.
In March, SaharaReporters reported that a prominent politician from Oghara, Delta State, was actively pushing for a compromised figure to become the next INEC chairman, setting the stage for widespread electoral fraud.
Sources close to the matter implicated former Delta State Governor James Ibori, a convicted ex-governor who returned to Nigeria after serving a sentence in the United Kingdom for looting public funds.
It was learnt that Ibori was maneuvering to position his associate and kinsman, Moses Ogbe, as the next INEC Chairman to ensure direct control over the rigging of the 2027 elections.
Ibori’s influence in the current political landscape remains significant. His past political manipulations include the appointment of his in-law, Chinedu Ebie, as Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Governing Board, and his daughter, Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, as Chairperson of the House Committee on NDDC.
Moses Ogbe is a former Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) under Prof. Maurice Iwu’s tenure.
Moses Ogbe’s Troubling Track Record
SaharaReporters’ investigation into Ogbe’s past reveals a deeply concerning history of electoral manipulation. Ogbe, once a staunch member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was nominated by Ibori for a REC position during a period marked by widespread election rigging.
He was allegedly part of a network of election manipulators working closely with Prof. Iwu, notorious for overseeing Nigeria’s deeply flawed 2007 general election, an election so discredited that then-President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua admitted its failures and initiated electoral reforms.
Ogbe’s tenure as REC in Lagos State during the 2003 elections reportedly saw significant electoral malpractices under the administration of then-Governor Bola Tinubu.
Tinubu has a habit of surrounding himself with individuals he has previously worked with or known, as he advances politically.
For example, in 1999, the current Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, served as Tinubu’s Chief Security Officer, holding the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police at the time. At the time, Tinubu was the governor of Lagos State.
Earlier in September, INEC officially recognised former Senate President, Senator David Mark, as National Chairman and former Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, as National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), bringing to an end to months of internal wrangling over the party’s leadership.
The electoral body also confirmed Dr. Mani Ibrahim as National Treasurer, alongside Akibu Dalhatu and Professor Oserheimen Osunbor, who now serve as National Financial Secretary and National Legal Adviser, respectively.
SaharaReporters confirmed that the names of the newly recognised ADC leaders had been uploaded to the Commission’s official website.
-Source: SaharaReporters
President Bola Tinubu has appointed Hon. Magaji Da’u Aliyu as the Managing Director of the Sheda Science and Technology Complex, Abuja.
Naija News reports that the Sheda Science and Technology Complex (SHESTCO) is responsible for conducting research and development in technology and for operating a nuclear research facility.
According to a statement on Tuesday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu also appointed Engr. Adesayo Olusegun Michael as the Managing Director/CEO of the Board of Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA).
Other Board members of NEMSA appointed by the President include: Engr. Aliyu Abdulazeez (Executive Director, Technical); Ikechi Clara Nwosu (Chairman, South East); Zubair Abdur’rauf Idris (Member); Igba Elizabeth (Member-North Central); Sani Alhaji Shehu (Member–North East); Adeyemi Adetunji (Member–South West); Engr Emmanuel Eneji Nkpe (Member–South South) and Engr. Charles Ogbonna Asogwa (South East).
Similarly, the President nominated Amina Gamawa, representing Bauchi, and Abdullahi Muktar, representing Kaduna, as Commissioners to the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).
Onanuga added that the President has sent the names of the two nominees to the Senate for confirmation.
Details of Nigeria’s military collaboration with the United States have emerged, following heightened coordination after former US President Donald Trump re-designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) last October.
The move came amid allegations of Christian persecution in Nigeria, which the federal government has consistently denied.
Trump later threatened to deploy troops into Nigeria “guns-a-blazing” to eliminate terrorists targeting Christians, prompting President Bola Tinubu to send a high-level delegation, led by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, to meet US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
“Hegseth assured us that the department is working aggressively with Nigeria to combat terrorism, but the details of engagement were not disclosed at the time,” a source familiar with the meeting said.
Days after the high-level talks, the US began intelligence-gathering flights over Nigerian territory using contractor-operated aircraft originating from Accra, Ghana,
Punch reported. On Christmas Day, the US launched strikes on two terrorist enclaves in Bauni Forest, Tangaza LGA, Sokoto state.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the “precision hits” were the result of intelligence sharing and strategic coordination under international and bilateral agreements.
Communities in Sokoto and Kwara states reported explosions, later identified as debris from precision-guided munitions (PGMs) fired by the US.
Officials revealed that the US requested a station in Nigeria to refuel drones after missions from Ghana, initially suggesting Lagos or Abuja, but the federal government proposed a north-eastern state hosting Nigeria’s drone operations.
An official said: “We’re not going to have boots on the ground. They will support Nigeria in equipment, intelligence, or advisory capacity, including training. This is not a combat operation.”
The station is expected to enhance logistical support and coordination between the two countries’ military forces
General Dagvin Anderson, head of the US Africa Command (AFRICOM), confirmed the deployment of a “small team” to Nigeria, sparking public interest.
As reported by TheCable: “AFRICOM has always collaborated with Nigeria. US troops have been present, but the scope of their assignment has changed to support intelligence and training initiatives.”
Christopher Musa, Nigeria’s minister of Defence, explained that the personnel are not combat troops but a small advisory team assisting in intelligence gathering and training.
An official also noted that the team played a key role in coordinating the Christmas Day strikes.
Kogi State Government temporarily closes markets and motor parks to enhance security operations against criminals The State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, said the closure affects seven local government areas, targeting logistics and movement of supplies for criminal elements Fanwo assures closure is temporary, to be lifted after successful completion of security operations
Lokoja, Kogi State – The Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo-led Kogi State Government has ordered the temporary closure of selected markets and motor parks in seven local government areas of the state.
The State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, said the markets and motor parts are being shut down to intensify and coordinate security operations in the affected areas.
Fanwo said the development is to help flush out terrorists, bandits, and other criminal elements operating within parts of the state. As reported by Daily Trust, he made this known while briefing journalists on Sunday, February 8, 2026, in Lokoja.
He said the affected markets and motor parks are located in Lokoja, Kogi, Kabba/Bunu, Ijumu, Mopa Muro, Yagba West, and Yagba East local government areas of the state’s western district.
“The directive affects selected communities across seven local government areas of the state. “The measure is in support of ongoing clearance operations being carried out in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser and the heads of security agencies in Kogi State.”
According to Fanwo, the temporary closure is to cut off logistics, restrict the movement of consumables, and deny criminal elements. The commissioner also denied their informants access to food supplies and other forms of support during the security exercise. He disclosed that the closure was strictly temporary and would be lifted immediately after the conclusion of the security operations in the affected areas.
Recall that the Kogi state government shut schools in the state to enhance security for students amid rising threats. The state government emphasised proactive measures rather than reactive responses to avoid potential crises. The development comes amid calls for police decentralisation to empower local governments in tackling insecurity.
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