The Niger Delta Youth Congress (NDYC) has expressed deep concern over the orchestrated hostility and politically induced criticisms trailing the nomination of the former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu, as an ambassador by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. NDYC described the backlash as a coordinated attempt by vested political actors to demonize a man who has demonstrably served Nigeria with competence, courage, and institutional discipline.
In a strongly worded statement on Wednesday, the National Coordinator of the NDYC, Comrade Israel Uwejeyan, said the barrage of attacks against Prof Yakubu is not only ill-intentioned but emblematic of a broader pattern where individuals who have shown exemplary capacity in national assignments become targets of retrogressive political vendettas.
Uwejeyan noted that President Tinubu’s ambassadorial list, transmitted to the Senate in line with constitutional provisions, has been broadly accepted across the country, yet the inclusion of Prof Yakubu has become the fixation of a small but loud circle of individuals who appear determined to weaponize the outcome of the 2023 general elections for continued political agitation.
According to the NDYC, the arguments being peddled by critics are neither grounded in law nor logic, but driven by an unending resentment over an election that has gone through all judicial reviews and has long been concluded.
“It is intellectually dishonest and politically disingenuous for anyone to suggest that a former INEC Chairman, having completed his statutory duties, should be ostracized from public service simply because an election he superintended produced the incumbent President,” Uwejeyan said. “This line of argument is not only weak; it is an affront to reason, fairness, and the constitution itself.”
NDYC emphasized that under Prof Yakubu’s leadership, Nigeria witnessed an electoral cycle where entrenched incumbents, governors, federal lawmakers, and political heavyweights, were defeated at the polls, a development that reinforced the autonomy and resilience of the electoral process. The group stated that these outcomes contradict the narrative of bias being pushed by those who now seek to rewrite history.
The statement further highlighted Yakubu’s longstanding record of public service, including his transformative leadership at the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), and his decade-long tenure at INEC, which saw the introduction of several institutional reforms that strengthened voter confidence and modernized election management.
“Those who have chosen to fabricate a narrative of failure around Prof Yakubu conveniently ignore the fact that his stewardship at both TETFUND and INEC earned him respect across sectors,” NDYC noted. “A nation that belittles or maligns its achievers only sabotages its future.”
The Niger Delta Youth Congress expressed worry that many of the voices leading the protest against Yakubu’s nomination are still fixated on partisan grievances rooted in the 2023 elections. NDYC cautioned that such persons are attempting to stir public disaffection and create the false impression of national consensus, when in reality, the opposition is narrow and self-serving.
The statement warned that politicizing every national appointment on the basis of electoral bitterness undermines the integrity of public institutions and discourages experienced technocrats from offering themselves for service.
“Nigeria cannot afford a culture where competence is punished and public service becomes hostage to the anger of political actors who refuse to move on,” Uwejeyan stressed. “The country must draw a clear line between constructive democratic criticism and perpetual political blackmail.”
NDYC urged the Senate to remain insulated from the noise and to proceed with its constitutional responsibility of screening and confirming President Tinubu’s ambassadorial nominees on merit, devoid of emotional or politically instigated pressure.
The group reaffirmed its confidence in Prof Yakubu’s capacity to represent Nigeria with diplomacy, professionalism, and distinction, adding that his global experience and administrative background make him an asset rather than a liability.
“Nigeria must rise above divisive sentiments and recognize the value of seasoned administrators,” the statement concluded. “Prof Mahmood Yakubu has served his country and has every right to continue doing so. The NDYC stands firmly against the ongoing smear campaign and urges all patriotic Nigerians to do the same.”