14 Astonishing facts you didn’t know about INEC’s acting Chairman, Agbamuche-Mbu

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu on Tuesday became the acting Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following the retirement of Prof. Yakubu Mahmood.

Below are 14 Astonishing facts about her.

1. Professional Experience: Seasoned legal practitioner with over three decades of experience working with diverse clients in both public and private sectors.

2. Origin and Early Education: Agbamuche-Mbu hails from Delta State, Nigeria; born in Kano and attended St. Louis Secondary School there.

3. Undergraduate Degree: Agbamuche-Mbu graduated from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) in 1984 with an LLB in Law.

4. Bar Admission: She was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1985.

5. UK Legal Qualification: She attended the College of Law, London, and qualified as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales.

6. Postgraduate Degrees: Agbamuche-Mbu holds an LLM specializing in Commercial and Corporate Law from Queen Mary and Westfield College, London; completed two additional postgraduate programs in International Dispute Resolution and International Business Law.

7. Expertise in ADR: She is a recognized expert in Alternative Dispute Resolution.

8. Professional Membership: Agbamuche-Mbu is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, United Kingdom Nigeria branch, where she served as Secretary.

9. PPAC Role: She served on the Presidential Projects Assessment Committee (PPAC) from March 2010 to November 2011 as the sole solicitor, evaluating a nationwide portfolio of major unfinished public projects in Nigeria.

10. Ministerial Committee Appointment: Appointed in March 2016 as a member of the Ministerial Committee to prepare The Road Map for the Solid Minerals Sector.

11. Law Firm Leadership: Prior to her INEC appointment, she served as managing partner of her law firm, Norfolk Partners, in Lagos.

12. Editorial Role: Agbamuche-Mbu was the Editor of THISDAY LAWYER, a weekly legal pullout in one of Nigeria’s most widely read newspapers.

13. Column Contributions: She published 120 legal editorials from January 2014 to September 2016 under her column “LEGAL EAGLE” in THISDAY LAWYER.

14. Public Advocacy: She built a reputable body of commentary and expert opinion through consistent exposure to public affairs and related projects; her work serves as a source of public advocacy on national and international issues.