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President Muhammadu Buhari has announced a professor of political history and international studies, Mahmood Yakubu, as new chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The appointment which is to be ratified by the senate was made on Wednesday by the president at the council of state meeting in Abuja.
Yakubu, who is a former executive secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund is to take over from the acting chairmanof the commission, Amina Zakari.
Following Yakubu’s appointment, Amina Zakari, is now the INEC Commissioner representing the North-West.
Yakubu, a professor of political history and international studies, was Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund.
Prof. Yakubu is an expert in guerrilla warfare, terrorism and counter-terrorism.
He was an Assistant Secretary, Finance and Administration, at the 2014 National Conference under the Jonathan led administration.
He is the first and only first class graduate of history from the North till date,who was on secondment from the Nigeria Defense Academy where he was a lecturer to the Federal Ministry of Education.
He was a member of the very dynamic Oby Ezekwesili Educational Transformation Team which received plaudits from Nigerians for their far reaching recommendations for the turn around of the fortunes of education in Nigeria.