Senate Confirms Appointment Of Five RECs
•By Admin
ABUJA – The Senate has confirmed the appointment of five Resident Electoral Commissioners, RECs for the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
The confirmed nominees, who will serve a five-year term, are Umar Yusuf Garba from Kano State, Sa’ad Umar Idris (Bauchi), Chukwuemeka Obeziako (Anambra), Umar Mukhtar (Borno), and Johnson Alalibo Sinikiem from Bayelsa, respectively.
The appointments were made in accordance with Section 154(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) while the confirmation was sequel to the consideration of a report by the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters.
Presenting the committee’s report on Wednesday, its Chairman, Senator Sharafadeen Alli (APCp Oyo South), said all five nominees met the constitutional and professional requirements for the role.
In his remarks, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio commended the committee and the chamber for their swift work.
“Let me thank my colleagues, particularly the Committee on INEC and Electoral Matters, for a job well done. I congratulate all the newly confirmed electoral commissioners.
I wish them success as they take on the responsibilities of INEC, and urge them to act fairly and equitably to promote democracy and ensure justice for all,” he said.
He also praised President Bola Tinubu for submitting what he described as a quality list of nominees.
“These are square pegs in square holes. I pray Almighty God grants them the wisdom to do justice—not only to politicians, but also to the Nigerian voter—so that every vote will count and no one will be shortchanged. I congratulate them and wish them well,” Akpabio added.
President Tinubu had forwarded the names of the nominees to the Senate in a letter dated March 18, 2025, seeking legislative confirmation.
“In compliance with the provision of Section 154(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), I am pleased to forward, for confirmation by the Senate, the appointment of the following five (5) nominees as Resident Electoral Commissioners in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),” he wrote.
The President also clarified that the correspondence superseded an earlier letter referenced PRES134/2 dated March 12, noting that the update was necessitated by his decision to reappoint the commissioner from Borno State for a second term.
•INDEPENDENTNG.