Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President, has condemned the nomination of the former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu.

President Bola Tinubu earlier this week nominated Yakubu as an ambassador.

A cross-section of Nigerians alleged that the nomination of the former INEC Chairman was a reward for the outcome of the 2023 presidential election.

In a statement on Thursday, Atiku said Tinubu’s move sends the wrong message to the current leadership of the electoral body.

According to the former vice president, the nomination of Yakubu tells the current INEC leadership that compromise and poorly executed elections attract rewards.

The statement reads: “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.

“Such a nomination raises serious concerns. It risks appearing as a quid pro quo rather than a recognition of merit. It 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.

“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.

“This is not the path to strengthening our democracy or restoring public trust in our institutions”.