The Nigerian Senate on Wednesday confirmed the appointments of five Resident Electoral Commissioners for the Independent National Electoral Commission, as nominated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The confirmation followed the presentation of a screening report by Senator Simon Lalong, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, during plenary. He recommended the approval of the nominees, stating that all five had met the requirements following their screening.
Those confirmed are Umar Yusuf Garba (Kano State), Sa’ad Umar Idris (Bauchi State), Chukwuemeka C. Ibeziako (Anambra State), Umar Mukhtar (Borno State), and Dr. Johnson Alalibo Sinikiem (Bayelsa State).
Lalong said, “These nominees demonstrated capacity and understanding of the electoral process. We believe they will contribute significantly to the credibility of elections in their respective states.”
In a related development, the Senate also began deliberations on the ₦1.783 trillion Federal Capital Territory (FCT) statutory appropriation bill for the 2025 fiscal year.
President Tinubu, in a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, urged lawmakers to accelerate the passage of the FCT budget, citing its importance for ongoing infrastructure and service delivery in the nation’s capital.
“This budget will enable continued investment in health, education, social welfare, agriculture, and job creation,” Tinubu noted. “Eighty-five percent of the funds will be directed at completing critical ongoing projects, while 15 percent will support new initiatives.”
Following the reading of the letter, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele moved for the suspension of Order 78(1), allowing the bill to scale second reading on the same day it was introduced. The motion drew resistance from Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central), who protested that lawmakers had not received copies of the bill before the debate, citing Order 77 (3 and 4) of the Senate rules.
Despite the opposition, the Senate proceeded with the debate. Bamidele explained that the appropriation bill seeks to authorise the release of ₦1.783 trillion from the FCT Administration’s Statutory Revenue Fund to cover personnel, overhead, and capital expenditures between January and December 2025.
The proposed budget breakdown includes ₦150.35 billion for personnel costs, ₦343.78 billion for overhead, and ₦1.29 trillion for capital projects.
Bamidele emphasized, “The focus of this budget is not just on completing what we have started but ensuring that the FCT Administration remains people-centered and development-driven.”
The bill has been referred to the Senate Committees on FCT, Area Councils, and Auxiliary Matters for further scrutiny, with the report expected to be returned to plenary within one week.