Nigeria: Tinubu Nominates Four New INEC National Commissioners, Two Resident Electoral Commissioners

On January 16, President Bola Tinubu nominated four new National Commissioners and two Resident Electoral Commissioners for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The appointments come as Tinubu urged the Senate to expedite the confirmation process ahead of the general elections scheduled for January.

Mustapha Aliu will replace Abdullahi Zuru as the North West representative, while Bashir Muhammed Umar will take over from Muhammad Adamu in the North Central region. Oluwatoyin Babalola, the current Resident Electoral Commissioner in Osun, is recommended for the new South West position, stepping into the shoes of Cornelius Ajayi whose tenure ends on October 24.

Samuel Akinleye, a retired permanent secretary, will represent Ekiti State as one of the two new Resident Electoral Commissioners, filling the vacancy of Saidu Babura. The other appointee is Zahradden Sanusi, hailing from Jigawa, who will replace Saidu Babura.

President Tinubu emphasized the urgency of confirming these nominees in light of the upcoming elections, expressing his commitment to ensuring a smooth electoral process.