Meet May Agbamuche-Mbu, INEC’s new Acting Chairman

May Agbamuche-Mbu has officially taken over as the Acting National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following the formal handover by Professor Mahmood Yakubu on Tuesday, October 7, 2025.

Her appointment marks a significant moment for the commission as she becomes the first woman to lead it in an acting capacity in recent years.

Agbamuche-Mbu, who is the longest-serving National Commissioner at INEC, brings to the role over three decades of experience in law, governance, and public service.

Background

Though she hails from Delta State, she was born in Kano, where she attended St. Louis Secondary School.

She studied Law at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), where she earned her LLB in 1984 and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1985.

Afterward, she attended the College of Law, London, and qualified as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales.

She also holds an LLM in Commercial and Corporate Law from Queen Mary and Westfield College, London, and completed postgraduate programs in International Dispute Resolution and International Business Law.

Legal career

A seasoned legal practitioner with over three decades of professional experience, Agbamuche-Mbu has worked extensively with diverse clients across the public and private sectors.

An expert in Alternative Dispute Resolution, Agbamuche-Mbu is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK), Nigeria branch, where she served as Secretary.

Between March 2010 and November 2011, she was the sole solicitor on the Presidential Projects Assessment Committee (PPAC), tasked with evaluating major unfinished public projects across Nigeria.

In March 2016, she was appointed a member of the Ministerial Committee that developed ‘The Roadmap for the Solid Minerals Sector’.

Before joining INEC as a National Commissioner, Agbamuche-Mbu was the Managing Partner of ‘Norfolk Partners’, a Lagos-based law firm.

She also made her mark in legal journalism as the editor of ‘THISDAY LAWYER’, a widely read weekly legal pullout, where she published 120 “LEGAL EAGLE” editorials between 2014 and 2016.

Her works have consistently reflected her deep insight into public policy, governance, and legal reform.

Personal life

May Agbamuche-Mbu is known to be reserved about her personal life.

However, her hyphenated surname suggests a marital connection. She is admired for her professionalism, discipline, and dedication to ethical leadership qualities that have defined her long-standing public career.

Appointment

On Tuesday, she officially assumed leadership of INEC as the longest-serving National Commissioner, during a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

Professor Yakubu, while handing over, urged commissioners and directors to give her full support as she leads the Commission pending the appointment of a substantive chairman.