Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, says he would never nominate the immediate past chair of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for an ambassadorial role if he were president.
He says such a nomination “raises serious concerns” and risks looking like “a quid pro quo rather than a recognition of merit”.
Atiku was reacting to the nomination of Yakubu Mahmood, immediate past INEC chairman as an ambassador by President Bola Tinubu.
He adds that the move presents “terrible optics for an administration already struggling with credibility”.
He says it sends the wrong message to the current INEC leadership, warning that “partisan, compromised, or poorly executed elections may ultimately be rewarded”.
He describes the idea as “morally indefensible”, noting that an umpire at the centre of one of Nigeria’s most disputed elections should not become a beneficiary of its outcome.
He says the move will not strengthen democracy or help restore public trust in institutions.
The article was originally published on Politics Nigeria.