May Agbamuche-Mbu is a national commissioner at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and is currently acting chairman of the commission, following the handover from Mahmood Yakubu.
Mrs Agbamuche-Mbu hails from Delta State and was born in Kano where she attended St. Louis Secondary School.
She holds a law degree (LLB) from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), earned in 1984.
She was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1985.
She furthered her studies abroad, where she obtained an LLM specialising in commercial and corporate law from Queen Mary and Westfield College, London and completed postgraduate programmes in international dispute resolution and international business law.
She qualified as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales.
She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, UK-Nigeria branch.
Before joining INEC as commissioner, she was managing partner at her law firm in Lagos, Norfolk Partners.
She also served as editor of THISDAY LAWYER, a weekly legal pull-out, writing under the column Legal Eagle.
Between January 2014 and September 2016, she published 120 legal editorials.
She has held roles in public service outside INEC. Between March 2010 and November 2011, she served as sole solicitor to the presidential projects assessment committee (PPAC), reviewing major unfinished government projects across Nigeria.
In March 2016, she was appointed to a ministerial committee to develop a roadmap for the solid minerals sector.
Within INEC, she has chaired the legal services, clearance and complaints committee (LSCCC), a portfolio responsible for legal compliance and candidate screening.
She has also spoken publicly about challenges facing electoral law enforcement, citing political interference, resource constraints and the need for capacity in prosecuting electoral offences.
Her reappointment as INEC commissioner came in December 2021. She has served multiple terms and is now acting chairman.
