President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated four new National Commissioners and two Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to fill vacancies arising from the expiration of the tenures of serving officials.
The nominations, announced in a State House press release issued over the weekend also include the reappointment of Dr Bala Bila as the National Commissioner representing the North-East geopolitical zone.
According to the release, signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, the new National Commissioners include Professor Mustapha Aliu, who is to replace Professor Abdullahi Zuru as the representative of the North-West, and Bashir Muhammed Umar, who will replace Professor Muhammad Adamu as the representative of the North-Central.
The President also nominated Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Osun State, as the National Commissioner representing the South-West. She is expected to succeed Professor Cornelius Ajayi, whose tenure expires on October 24, 2026.
For the Resident Electoral Commissioner positions, President Tinubu nominated retired Permanent Secretary, Dr Samuel Akinjide Akinleye, to represent Ekiti State, while Zahradden Basiru Sanusi, from Jigawa State, was nominated to replace Professor Saidu Ahmed Babura.
The nominations will be forwarded to the Senate for scrutiny and confirmation in line with the required constitutional process.
President Tinubu has urged the Senate to expedite consideration of the nominees to ensure that the vacancies are filled promptly, particularly in view of the forthcoming general elections scheduled for January next year.
The appointments are part of efforts to fill vacancies within the electoral commission as the country prepares for the next general elections.
