Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned President Bola Tinubu’s nomination of former Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman, Mahmud Yakubu, for an ambassadorial appointment, saying it appears to be a reward for an election-rigging umpire.

In a statement on Thursday, Mr Abubakar said, “under no circumstance would I, as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, nominate the immediate past INEC Chairman for an ambassadorial position.”

Mr Abubakar, who contested against Mr Tinubu in the 2023 election presided over by Mr Yakubu, said the nomination of the former INEC czar for an ambassadorial role just after his tenure as electoral umpire is bad optics.

Mr Yakubu’s ambassadorial nomination, Mr Abubakar said, “presents terrible optics for an administration already struggling with credibility. It sends the wrong message to the current @inecnigeria leadership; that partisan, compromised, or poorly executed elections may ultimately be rewarded.”

He added, “and most importantly, it is morally indefensible for an umpire at the centre of one of the most disputed elections in our history to become a beneficiary of its outcome.”

The former vice president and opposition leader said, “such a nomination raises serious concerns. It risks appearing as a quid pro quo rather than a recognition of merit.”

On November 27, Mr Tinubu nominated Mr Yakubu for an ambassadorial post, months after Mr Yakubu completed his tenure as INEC chairman.

Others nominated for ambassadorial appointments include Ayodele Oke, a former director-general of the National Intelligence Agency. His nomination comes years after he was enmeshed in a national scandal when anti-graft officials found a substantial amount of money in an apartment in Lagos.