The Niger Delta Youth Congress has strongly criticized a coordinated campaign targeting the ambassadorial nomination of former INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu. The group attributes the opposition to unresolved grievances from the 2023 elections, which it says have been legally settled. NDYC calls for the Senate to assess nominees based on merit alone.
The Niger Delta Youth Congress (NDYC) issued a statement on December 3, 2025, denouncing what it called a politically motivated effort to undermine Prof. Mahmood Yakubu's nomination as an ambassador. Yakubu, who served as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for a decade, has faced criticism linked to his role in the 2023 general elections.
NDYC argued that the attacks stem from lingering disputes over those elections, which courts have fully reviewed and upheld. 'It is irrational and constitutionally unsound to suggest that a former INEC Chairman should be barred from national service because an election he supervised produced the current President,' the statement said. It added, 'The 2023 polls underwent full judicial scrutiny, and the results stand. Continual attempts to weaponise that process amount to nothing more than political mischief.'
The group praised Yakubu's record, including innovations at INEC that bolstered Nigeria's democracy and his earlier work at the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), where he implemented lasting reforms. Under his leadership, the 2023 elections resulted in losses for many incumbents, governors, and lawmakers, which NDYC cited as evidence of the process's integrity.
'These are not the credentials of a man unfit for national representation,' NDYC stated, insisting the opposition reflects 'unhealed political grudges' rather than fair evaluation. The organization urged the Senate to confirm Yakubu and other nominees on merit, warning against politicizing appointments. 'Nigeria must cultivate a culture that uplifts accomplished public servants rather than maligning them for partisan reasons,' it concluded, emphasizing Yakubu's right to continue serving the nation.