President Bola Tinubu has moved to strengthen the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission ahead of the 2027 general elections, nominating four National Commissioners and two Resident Electoral Commissioners to fill vacancies in the electoral body.
The nominations were contained in a fresh list forwarded to the Senate for screening and confirmation.
The National Commissioner nominees are Professor Mustapha Aliu for the North-West, replacing Professor Abdullahi Zuru; Bashir Muhammed Umar for the North-Central, replacing Professor Muhammad Adamu; and Oluwatoyin Babalola for the South-West, replacing Professor Cornelius Ajayi.
Babalola is currently serving as the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Osun State.
Bala Bila, representing the North-East, was also nominated for reappointment as National Commissioner.
For the position of Resident Electoral Commissioner, Tinubu nominated Samuel Akinjide Akinleye for Ekiti State and Zahradden Basiru Sanusi for Jigawa State, where he will replace Professor Saidu Ahmed Babura.
The Senate is expected to screen the nominees before considering their confirmation.
Tinubu has also urged the Senate to expedite the confirmation process, underscoring the importance of having the electoral commission fully constituted as preparations intensify for the 2027 general elections.
The appointments come amid heightened political activity ahead of the 2027 elections, with the INEC already facing increasing scrutiny over preparations for the polls, including the compilation of the final list of presidential candidates and concerns raised by political parties over the conduct and credibility of the electoral process.
INEC is constitutionally responsible for organising, conducting and supervising elections in Nigeria, while its National Commissioners and RECs play key roles in administering elections across the country.
The 2027 presidential election is expected to feature President Tinubu seeking re-election, alongside major opposition contenders, making the composition and preparedness of INEC a major issue in the build-up to the polls.
