As far as the current elections are concerned, the case of the Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, is that of an acclaimed historian now in the court of history.
Indeed, his story that of a first class historian now encountering history at a crucial junction.
In much part of his adult life, he has been a respected historian especially since he graduated with a first class in the discipline from the University of Sokoto.
He has also taught the subject in a place as vital as the Nigerian Defence Academy.
But, based on the intrigues that usually surround Nigeria’s electoral politics and history, his can be described as a professional facing the test of his bosom profession.
Already, like his predecessors experienced, various political parties have been accusing him of bias.
The PDP says it knows INEC is planning to rig for APC. The latter too, especially in recent days, have been saying that Yakubu is working for the opposition.
Just on Wednesday, The Director General of the Buhari Campaign Organisation, Rotimi Amaechi, ‘revealed’ why the INEC boss (according to Amaechi) is working for the Mr Nyeson Wike, governor of River State, where the courts – and consequently, INEC – have said the APC cannot participate in any election. Amaechi, who is also the minister of Transport, said Yakubu was the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Fund – TETFUND – when Wike was the Minister of State for Education.
Beyond such suspicion, the fact is that all the guys who have headed Nigeria’s electoral body, including Ovie Whiskey, Humphery Nwosu and even Muhammed Jega, have been suspects in the court of history, one way or the other.
The question is: how will Yakubu the first class historian present himself in the court of the same history for which he is a disciple?
As a profile of his recalls, he was appointed to office by President Muhammadu Buhari on 21 October 2015, succeeding Amina Zakari, who served as acting chairman.
Mahmood Yakubu was born in May,1962 in Bauchi State, where he completed his basic and secondary school education at Kobi Primary School, and Government Teachers College, Toro, Bauchi from 1975 to 1980.
Yakubu studied History in the University of Sokoto, becoming the first and, to date, only Nigerian from the North to obtain a first-class degree certificate in history.
Bauchi State Government offered him a scholarship to study at both the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford graduating, with a doctorate in philosophy, specialising in Nigerian history.
He went on to become a three-time recipient of the Overseas Research Scholarship, and also won the Commonwealth Scholarship from the Association of Commonwealth Universities.
Yakubu was a lecturer and professor of Political History and International Studies at the Nigerian Defence Academy, where he teaches War and Society in pre-colonial Africa.
The father of four – two boys and two girls – served as the executive secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund.
Being appointed to office in 2007 by then-President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and during his tenure as secretary, a National Book Development Fund was established, supporting 102 journals of professional associations.
Not only that, he also served as Assistant Secretary of Finance and Administration at the 2014 National Conference and in 2013 he was awarded an honorary fellowship to the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations.
