The Niger Delta Youth Congress (NDYC) has criticised what it calls a coordinated, politically motivated campaign aimed at undermining the ambassadorial nomination of former INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the group expressed concern over what it described as deliberate efforts to distort public perception and discredit a public servant who, in their view, has consistently demonstrated integrity and competence.
According to the NDYC, the renewed attacks on Yakubu’s nomination stem from unresolved political grievances linked to the 2023 general elections — grievances the group insists should have been settled after extensive judicial reviews and the final resolution of all election disputes.
“It is irrational and constitutionally unsound to suggest that a former INEC Chairman should be excluded from national service simply because an election he supervised produced the current President,” the statement said. “The 2023 elections underwent full judicial scrutiny. The results stand. Continuing to weaponize that process is nothing but political mischief.”
The group pointed to what it considers notable achievements under Yakubu’s leadership at INEC, noting that the 2023 polls saw entrenched incumbents, governors, federal lawmakers, and other political heavyweights lose their seats evidence, they argued, of a credible process and an independent electoral body.
The NDYC also cited Yakubu’s earlier tenure at TETFund, where he spearheaded reforms and policies that left lasting institutional improvements. His decade-long leadership at INEC, they added, introduced innovations that strengthened Nigeria’s democratic framework. “These are not the credentials of a man unfit for national representation,” the group said, insisting that opposition to his nomination is driven by “unhealed political grudges.”
Urging the Senate to assess Yakubu and other nominees strictly on merit, the NDYC warned against turning national appointments into instruments of political revenge.
“Nigeria must embrace a culture that acknowledges and uplifts accomplished public servants, rather than tearing them down for partisan reasons. Prof. Mahmood Yakubu has every constitutional right to continue serving the nation,” the statement concluded.
