Iraq's Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani, has accepted the resignation of Nineveh Governor Najim al-Jabouri on Sunday. The move comes after the governor was prohibited from running in the upcoming provincial council elections due to his past associations with Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath regime.

The exclusion of over 100 election candidates, including Jabouri, was carried out by Iraq's Commission for Accountability and Justice in late September. Jabouri's disqualification was attributed to his prior role as a member of the dissolved military intelligence under Saddam Hussein's regime.

In October, Jabouri appealed the commission's decision at the Federal Court of Cassation, which subsequently rejected his request. In his resignation letter addressed to Prime Minister al-Sudani, Jabouri cited the failure to complete the de-Baathification procedures, expressing his desire to step down from his position as governor of Nineveh.

Having served as a retired lieutenant general and commanded Iraqi forces in the battle against the Islamic State in Nineveh, Jabouri assumed the role of governor in 2019 amid political turmoil in the province.

The Accountability and Justice Act of 2008 governs the de-Baathification process, aiming to dismantle the Baath party system across various aspects of Iraqi society and institutions.

Prime Minister al-Sudani, upon accepting Jabouri's resignation, expressed gratitude for the governor's service during his tenure. Iraq is set to hold provincial council elections on December 18, marking the first such elections since 2013. These councils, established following the fall of Hussein in 2005, wield significant power in the country, including the authority to set budgets for crucial sectors like education, health, and transport.