President Bola Tinubu has asked the Senate to expedite the confirmation of six nominees to fill vacancies in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), citing the need to prepare the electoral body for the forthcoming general elections in January.
The nominations, announced on Friday, include four national commissioners and two resident electoral commissioners, as the administration moves to fill positions affected by the expiration of existing tenures ahead of the next general elections.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu urged the Senate to accelerate the confirmation process “in view of the forthcoming General elections next January.”
The request places the Senate’s screening and confirmation process at the centre of efforts to fill the vacancies before the election period, although the statement did not specify a deadline for completing the exercise.
Among the nominees, Professor Mustapha Aliu is to replace Professor Abdullahi Zuru as the national commissioner representing the North-West, while Bashir Muhammed Umar is nominated to replace Professor Muhammad Adamu as the North-Central representative.
Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, currently the resident electoral commissioner in Osun State, has been recommended as the new national commissioner representing the South-West. She is to replace Professor Cornelius Ajayi, whose tenure expires on October 24.
President Tinubu has also nominated Dr Samuel Akinjide Akinleye, a retired permanent secretary, as resident electoral commissioner for Ekiti State, while Zahradden Basiru Sanusi, from Jigawa State, is nominated to replace Professor Saidu Ahmed Babura as a resident electoral commissioner.
The President, however, reappointed Dr Bala Bila as the national commissioner representing the North-East.
The nominations are subject to Senate scrutiny and confirmation, meaning the nominees must complete the legislative process before formally assuming their respective positions.
The appointments come as INEC prepares for the next general elections, making the timely filling of vacancies important to the commission’s administrative and operational readiness.
The presidential statement did not detail the specific responsibilities to be assigned to the incoming commissioners or outline additional measures being taken to prepare INEC for the elections.
The Senate is expected to consider the nominations as part of its constitutional responsibility to scrutinise appointments to the electoral commission.
