NIGERIA, Dec. 1 -- The uproar began the moment news broke that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had finally released the long-awaited list of ambassadorial nominees, and among the prominent names sat that of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the immediate past Chairman of INEC. As expected, the dust rose quickly and almost uniformly; critics found a familiar rhythm in their outrage. To many observers, the appointment was "too soon, too close and too damaging," a gesture they read as political reciprocity rather than national interest. The public sentiment leaned heavily toward moral discomfort, and in the marketplace of opinions, morality often wears the loudest colours.

Across various media platforms, the criticisms converged around one core suspicion: ...