President asks Senate to expedite confirmation ahead of forthcoming general elections.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated four national commissioners and two Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) to fill vacancies at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The nominations were announced in a State House press release issued on Friday, October 16, 2026, by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.
According to the statement, the Senate will scrutinise the nominees before their confirmation.
The four national commissioner nominees include Professor Mustapha Aliu, who is expected to replace Professor Abdullahi Zuru as the representative of the North-West, and Bashir Muhammed Umar, nominated to replace Professor Muhammad Adamu as the North-Central representative.
Tinubu also nominated Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Osun State, as the South-West national commissioner. She is expected to replace Professor Cornelius Ajayi, whose tenure expires on October 24.
The President also reappointed Dr Bala Bila as the national commissioner representing the North-East.
For the Resident Electoral Commissioner positions, Tinubu nominated retired Permanent Secretary Dr Samuel Akinjide Akinleye to represent Ekiti State, while Zahradden Basiru Sanusi of Jigawa State was nominated to replace Professor Saidu Ahmed Babura.
The President urged the Senate to expedite the confirmation process in view of the forthcoming general elections scheduled for next January, according to the statement.
The nominations form part of efforts to fill vacancies arising from the expiration of the tenures of serving INEC officials.
