Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s nomination of the immediate past INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, for an ambassadorial role, asserting that he would never make such an appointment if he were president.

Atiku, the 2023 PDP presidential candidate, described the decision as raising “serious concerns,” warning it could be interpreted as a political reward rather than a merit-based appointment.

“Let me state without ambiguity: under no circumstance would I, as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, nominate the immediate past INEC Chairman for an ambassadorial position,” Atiku said in a post on his X account on Thursday.

He added that the nomination “presents terrible optics for an administration already struggling with credibility” and risks sending the wrong signal to the electoral body.

“It risks appearing as a quid pro quo rather than a recognition of merit. It sends the wrong message to the current @inecnigeria leadership; that partisan, compromised, or poorly executed elections may ultimately be rewarded,” Atiku wrote.

He described it as “morally indefensible” for an electoral umpire involved in one of Nigeria’s most disputed elections to benefit from its outcome, stressing that such a move does not strengthen democracy or restore public trust in institutions.

Meanwhile, President Tinubu’s nomination of Yakubu is currently awaiting legislative approval.