President Bola Tinubu has appointed four new national commissioners and two Resident Electoral Commissioners for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), moving to fill posts left vacant after the tenures of serving officials expired.

Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, announced the nominations in a State House press release issued on Friday, October 16. According to the statement, the Senate will scrutinise the nominees before their appointments can be confirmed.

Tinubu also reappointed Dr Bala Bila, the national commissioner representing the North-East geopolitical zone.

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Among the newly nominated national commissioners is Professor Mustapha Aliu, who is expected to take over from Professor Abdullahi Zuru as the representative of the North-West zone. Bashir Muhammed Umar was nominated to replace Professor Muhammad Adamu as the national commissioner for the North-Central zone.

The President further recommended Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, the current Resident Electoral Commissioner in Osun State, as the new national commissioner representing the South-West. She is expected to replace Professor Cornelius Ajayi, whose tenure expires on October 24, 2026.

Two new Resident Electoral Commissioners were also nominated to fill vacancies at the commission. They are Dr Samuel Akinjide Akinleye, a retired permanent secretary nominated for Ekiti State, and Zahradden Basiru Sanusi, from Jigawa State, who is expected to replace Professor Saidu Ahmed Babura.

The nominations come as preparations continue for the next general elections, which the presidency described as forthcoming next January. President Tinubu urged the Senate to expedite the confirmation process, citing the need to fill the vacancies ahead of the elections.