President asks Senate to expedite confirmation of nominees to fill vacancies at the electoral commission ahead of the 2027 general elections.
President Bola Tinubu has nominated six people for positions at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and reappointed serving National Commissioner Bala Bila as the commission prepares for the 2027 general elections.
The nominations cover three new national commissioners and two resident electoral commissioners (RECs), alongside Bila’s reappointment as the national commissioner representing the North-East.
Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy, announced the appointments in a statement issued on Friday, October 16.
According to the statement, the changes are intended to fill vacancies arising from the expiration of the tenures of serving officials.
Tinubu urged the Senate to expedite the confirmation process ahead of the general elections scheduled to begin in January 2027.
Tinubu names new INEC national commissioners
Among the nominees, Professor Mustapha Aliu has been nominated to replace Professor Abdullahi Zuru as the national commissioner representing the North-West.
Bashir Muhammed Umar was nominated to succeed Professor Muhammad Adamu as the North-Central representative.
The president also nominated Oluwatoyin Babalola, the serving resident electoral commissioner in Osun State, for the national commissioner position representing the South-West.
She is expected to replace Professor Cornelius Ajayi, whose tenure expires on October 24, 2026.
Tinubu also reappointed Dr Bala Bila as the national commissioner representing the North-East.
The appointments affect INEC’s national-level leadership across several geopolitical zones, while the two REC nominations will fill positions responsible for the commission’s operations at state level.
Two nominees named for resident electoral commissioner positions
For the resident electoral commissioner positions, Tinubu nominated Dr Samuel Akinjide Akinleye, a retired permanent secretary, to represent Ekiti State.
He also nominated Zahradden Basiru Sanusi from Jigawa State to replace Professor Saidu Ahmed Babura.
The nominees are expected to undergo Senate scrutiny before their appointments can be confirmed.
Senate urged to expedite confirmation
Onanuga said Tinubu had asked the Senate to expedite the confirmation process in view of the forthcoming general elections.
The presidential statement did not provide a specific date for the Senate screening of the nominees.
INEC is responsible for organising and conducting federal and state elections in Nigeria. Its preparations for the 2027 polls include the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027, and governorship and state assembly elections scheduled for February 6, 2027.
The confirmation process will determine when the newly nominated officials can assume their respective positions.
With the election timetable approaching, filling vacancies in the commission’s leadership is part of the administrative preparations ahead of the polls.
