Tinubu Reappoints Bala Bila as INEC Commissioner, Nominates Six Others
President Bola Tinubu has reappointed Dr Bala Bila as a National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and nominated six other individuals to fill vacant positions in the electoral body.
The nominees comprise four National Commissioners and two Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs), following the expiration of the tenures of some serving officials.
The nominations were announced in a statement issued on Friday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who disclosed that the nominees would be forwarded to the Senate for screening and confirmation.
According to the statement, Professor Mustapha Aliu has been nominated to replace Professor Abdullahi Zuru as the National Commissioner representing the North-West, while Bashir Muhammed Umar will replace Professor Muhammad Adamu as the North-Central representative.
Tinubu also nominated Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, the current Resident Electoral Commissioner in Osun State, as the National Commissioner representing the South-West. She is expected to succeed Professor Cornelius Ajayi, whose tenure expires on October 24.
For the Resident Electoral Commissioner positions, the President nominated retired permanent secretary Dr Samuel Akinjide Akinleye to represent Ekiti State.
Similarly, Zahradden Basiru Sanusi, from Jigawa State, was nominated to replace Professor Saidu Ahmed Babura as a Resident Electoral Commissioner.
The statement explained that the nominations were necessitated by vacancies arising from the expiration of the tenures of some serving commissioners.
Tinubu urged the Senate to expedite the confirmation process to ensure the vacancies are filled ahead of the forthcoming general elections scheduled for January next year.
The nominees will assume their respective positions subject to the Senate’s screening and confirmation.
