Nigeria’s President Nominates INEC Officials and APC Reveals Campaign Plans for 2027

President Bola Tinubu has nominated six new officials to fill important roles at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as Nigeria prepares for the presidential election in 2027. This announcement comes alongside the All Progressives Congress (APC) revealing its campaign plans, which include Tinubu personally visiting 12 states.

On October 16, Tinubu nominated four national commissioners and two resident electoral commissioners. The national commissioner nominees are:

• Professor Mustapha Aliu from the North-West
• Bashir Muhammed Umar from the North-Central
• Oluwatoyin Babalola from the South-West, currently serving as the Osun Resident Electoral Commissioner
• Dr. Bala Bila from the North-East, who is being reappointed

The two resident electoral commissioner nominees are Dr. Samuel Akinjide Akinleye for Ekiti and Zahradden Basiru Sanusi for Jigawa. These appointments need to be approved by the Senate.

The timing of these nominations is significant as they come just three months before the presidential election. There are concerns about the nominees’ qualifications and the transparency of their approval process. However, there is no evidence that these appointments are meant to favor any political party.

Meanwhile, the APC has outlined a campaign itinerary for Tinubu, who will lead rallies in states including Kaduna, Rivers, Plateau, Oyo, Borno, Enugu, Bauchi, Sokoto, Delta, Kano, Adamawa, and Lagos. The campaign will kick off in Kaduna on October 24 and wrap up with a major rally in Lagos on January 9, 2027.

Notably, nine of the twelve states included in the campaign were won by opposition candidates in the last election. This suggests that the APC is targeting areas where they need to gain support. For example, Adamawa is the home state of a key opposition figure, while Lagos is significant due to past voting patterns.

These developments highlight two important aspects of the upcoming election: the need for effective electoral administration and the strategic focus of the ruling party’s campaign. As the election date approaches, the Senate’s review of the INEC nominees and the start of the APC’s campaign will be crucial to watch.