…President Seeks Expedited Senate Confirmation as Electoral Body Prepares for January Polls
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reappointed Dr Bala Bila as a National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and nominated five other persons to fill vacancies in the electoral body.
CDA News Nigeria gathered that the nominations, announced on Friday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, comprise four National Commissioners and two Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs), following the expiration of the tenures of some serving officials.
The new National Commissioner nominees are Professor Mustapha Aliu, who will replace Professor Abdullahi Zuru as the North-West representative; Bashir Muhammed Umar, who will replace Professor Muhammad Adamu as the North-Central representative; and Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, the current Resident Electoral Commissioner in Osun State, who will represent the South-West. She is expected to succeed Professor Cornelius Ajayi, whose tenure expires on October 24.
For the Resident Electoral Commissioner positions, the President nominated retired Permanent Secretary Dr Samuel Akinjide Akinleye to represent Ekiti State, and Zahradden Basiru Sanusi, from Jigawa State, who will replace Professor Saidu Ahmed Babura.
The President urged the Senate to expedite the confirmation process in view of the forthcoming general elections scheduled for January 2027. “The Senate will scrutinise all the nominees,” the statement said.
The nominations will take effect subject to the Senate’s screening and confirmation process.
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