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BREAKING: INEC installs career officers as RECs to take charge of elections for first time
In a historic move, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has welcomed a significant shift in leadership as career officers of the Commission assumed roles as Resident Electoral Commissioners, RECs.
The swearing-in ceremony, held on Tuesday, in Abuja, marked a departure from tradition, showcasing a lineup of experienced individuals who have risen through the ranks within INEC.
With four of the nine newly sworn-in RECs having previously held the position of Director within the Commission, their wealth of experience spans electoral operations, election and party monitoring, as well as electoral litigation.
This marks a notable milestone as it is the first time that several INEC career officers have been appointed as RECs.
Addressing the new appointees, the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, emphasized the critical responsibility of overseeing elections and maintaining the Commission’s commitment to fairness and transparency.
He urged the RECs to steer clear of unnecessary debates while remaining open to constructive criticism from stakeholders such as political parties, civil society organizations, the media, traditional institutions, religious bodies, and security agencies.
He said, “Today, nine out of the 10 RECs screened and confirmed by the National Assembly were sworn-in at this ceremony. The tenth REC-designate will be sworn-in next month on the expiry of the tenure of the REC representing Akwa Ibom State currently deployed to Delta State.
“By the proactive decision taken by the appointing authority, there will no long waiting period before the vacancy is filled. Let me therefore seize this opportunity to commend the selfless and dedicated service rendered to the Commission and the nation by the outgoing REC in Delta State, Reverend Dr Monday Udo Tom.
“The same appreciation is extended to all the other RECs whose tenure ended after serving meritoriously.
“Among the nine new RECs, four have been career officers of the Commission rising to the rank of Director. They have been involved in elections and electoral activities both in the field and at the Headquarters. Their experiences traversed electoral operations, election and party monitoring and electoral litigation.
“This is the first time that several INEC career officers are appointed as RECs. You are not new to the conduct of elections. There is no learning curve for you. Consequently, there can be no excuses for failing to hit the ground running and for making a huge difference to the quality and transparency of elections.
“The other five RECs sworn-in today have varied experiences in the public service at both National and State level. We will hold you to the same standard as we hold the career officers of the Commission.
“As new RECs, you are coming on board just as the Commission is about to conclude the three stages of our recent General Election i.e. the main elections conducted on 25th February and 18th March 2023, the supplementary elections where no winners emerged at first ballot held on 15th April 2023, and the re-run elections by the order of the Election Petition and Appeal Tribunals as they conclude their determination of all the cases before them.
Meanwhile, Yakubu disclosed that, “the Commission will release the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the re-run elections which will be combined with bye-elections in constituencies where vacancies have been declared by Presiding Officers of legislative houses following the death or resignation of serving members of the National and State assemblies.
In addition, “five vacancies have been declared for Surulere 1 Federal Constituency of Lagos State, Jalingo/Yorro/Zing Federal Constituency of Taraba State, Chibok State Constituency of Borno State, Chikun State Constituency of Kaduna State and Guma State Constituency of Benue State.
Similarly, we want to assure citizens in six other constituencies that we are liaising with the National and State assemblies for the declaration of vacancies so that bye-elections can be conducted in earnest.
“These are Ebonyi South and Yobe East Senatorial Districts, Akoko North East/Akoko North West Federal Constituency of Ondo State, Yauri/Shanga/Ngaski Federal Constituency of Kebbi State, Isa/Sabon Birni Federal Constituency of Sokoto State and Khana II State Constituency of Rivers State.
The Chairman commended the outgoing REC in Delta State, Reverend Dr. Monday Udo Tom, for his dedicated service and announced the proactive decision to fill the vacancy promptly.
The deployment of the new RECs within their geo-political zones, but not in their states of origin, aligns with the Commission’s current policy.
Yakubu reiterated the Commission’s expectations, emphasizing that the new RECs, both career officers and those with varied experiences, must hit the ground running, making a substantial difference in the quality and transparency of future elections.
The swearing-in ceremony witnessed the deployment of the following new Resident Electoral Commissioners:
1. Abubakar Dambo Sarkin Pawa – Kebbi
2. Abubakar Ma’aji Ahmed – Borno
3. Dr. Anugbum Onuoha – Edo
4. Ehimeakhe Shaka Isah – Akwa Ibom
5. Mal. Aminu Idris – Kaduna
6. Mohammed Sadiq Abubakar – Kwara
7. Mrs. Oluwatoyin O. Babalola – Ondo
8. Olubunmi O. Omoseyindemi – Ekiti
9. Shehu L. Wahab – Nasarawa
.
Speaking on behalf of the newly sworn in Resident Electoral Commissioners, former director legal services, now REC representing Ondo, Mrs Oluwatoyin O. Babalola, express gratitude to God and authorities for their appointments. They pledge loyalty, ethical standards, and commitment to the vision of the commission.
Acknowledged support from Chairman Mahmood Yakubu and committed to being firm, fair, impartial, and nonpartisan. Emphasize a harmonious working relationship with fellow commissioners and commission staff as they embark on their state assignments.
Overland Airways, Nigeria’s longest serving private domestic airline, in partnership with Niger State Government, is pleased to announce the commencement of flight services to Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport Minna, the capital city of Niger State from Lagos and Abuja, effective April 23, 2025.
Overland Airways will operate three (3) weekly flights on the Minna-Lagos-Minna route and three (3) weekly flights on the Minna-Abuja-Minna route. These flights will be operated on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays using Overland Airways’ brand-new Embraer 175 aircraft.
Flights will depart Lagos to Minna at 8am and Minna to Lagos at 3pm. Flights from Minna to Abuja will depart at 9:30am while Abuja to Minna will depart at 2pm.
Capt. Edward Boyo, Chief Executive Officer and Accountable Executive of Overland Airways says: ‘We are excited to commence flight services to Minna from Abuja the Federal Capital and Lagos the Commercial hub of Nigeria. This flight services will facilitate trade, tourism and economic activities in Niger State and its environs and support the Government of Niger State in its quest to attract more direct investments and improve the livelihood of citizens of the State. We thank particularly His Excellency Mohammed Umar Bago, the Executive Governor of the Niger State for his passionate commitment to the growth and development of the State and for making the dream of a connected Niger State come true.”
The Niger State Ministry of Transport in collaboration with the New Niger Development Project (NNDP), jointly stated, “It has been an uphill journey to bring the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport to fruition—from its construction to its operationalization. Today, we are immensely proud to see this dream become a reality. We are honoured to have Overland Airways as the pioneer airline for this project, setting the foundation for expanded air travel connectivity in Niger State. Mr. Governor is particularly proud of this achievement, which aligns with his vision of modernizing infrastructure and boosting economic development in Niger State.”
The Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the New Niger Aviation, Alhaji Liman Katamba Kutigi, says: “This partnership with Overland Airways will ensure regular and robust flight services from Abuja and Lagos to Minna, Niger State. We are thrilled to partner with Overland Airways, which has a reputation for excellent customer service and reliability, and look forward to working together to reposition the aviation sector and economy of Niger State.”
“Known as the Power State, Niger State, the largest state in Nigeria by landmass and host of major hydroelectric power dams and other businesses, requires reliable air services to drive its economic development and Overland Airways is uniquely positioned to meet this need”, says Capt. Boyo.
Overland Airways service offering has evolved from an all-turboprop fleet to a mixed fleet with the introduction of brand-new Embraer E175 jets. In October 2024, Overland Airways renewed its IOSA safety certification for the 5th consecutive time reaffirming its position as a safe and leading African carrier.
Industry leaders have identified important measures to secure telecommunications infrastructures in the country and ensure that investments in the telecoms space are protected.
They argued that as much as the effective implementation of the Executive Order on the Designation and Protection of Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) is important, the Order cannot solely guarantee infrastructure safety except certain internal and standardisation issues are first resolved by operators.
Speaking at the 7th Policy Implementation Assisted Forum (PIAFo) Summit on CNII implementation held Thursday in Lagos, the industry leaders highlighted pressing issues such as infrastructure vandalism, unauthorized installations, and cable theft, while proposing actionable solutions to safeguard the country’s critical national infrastructure.
Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), stressed the importance of proper infrastructure maintenance and installation to prevent vandalism and theft.
He highlighted the widespread issue of stolen manhole covers and poles, attributing the problem to poor maintenance practices. “When properly installed, these components are difficult to remove. However, due to negligence, they are often left unsecured, making them easy targets for theft,” he said.
Adebayo also pointed out that community resistance to infrastructure projects has significantly hindered progress. He recounted instances where local communities prevented trucks from accessing sites due to previous unaddressed damages caused by contractors.
“A diesel supplier was blocked from entering an estate because a previous contractor had damaged their property and failed to make repairs. This lack of accountability breeds distrust and delays crucial projects,” he explained.
He urged stakeholders to foster better relationships with communities to prevent such conflicts.
Another critical issue Adebayo identified was the unauthorized installation of infrastructure without government approval, leading to inadvertent damage during road construction projects.
“Government agencies often damage unregistered infrastructure simply because they were not documented in official records. Proper approvals and collaboration with authorities will ensure accountability and protection of critical infrastructure,” he noted.
He called for improved industry coordination to resolve these challenges internally before seeking external solutions that are promised by the CNII provisions.
Echoing these concerns, Tony Emoekpere, President of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), emphasised the need for standardisation and better coordination among stakeholders.
He pointed out that Nigeria’s infrastructure challenges go beyond technical issues, extending into environmental and moral concerns.
“We are dealing with a moral challenge. An engineer who switched from diesel to gas generators encountered a new problem—workers began stealing engine oil instead, as they could no longer siphon diesel. These issues require both technical and ethical solutions,” he explained.
Emoekpere argued that standardisation is the key to long-term sustainability. “If infrastructure is deployed in a suboptimal manner, failure is inevitable. We need to establish proper standards that all stakeholders—government, private sector, and the public—can align with,” he stated.
He also emphasized that Nigeria has strong policies, such as local content policies, but implementation remains a major challenge. “We must move beyond discussions and focus on actionable steps, follow-ups, and policy enforcement,” he added.
The importance of addressing cable theft and vandalism was further stressed by Wale Owoeye, CEO of Cedarview Communications Limited.
He described the alarming frequency of cable cuts, which disrupt network operations and drive up maintenance costs.
“Cable theft is a serious issue. Airtel representatives told me they experience a cable cut every six minutes. The assumption that all black cables contain valuable copper leads to reckless vandalism,” he explained.
To combat this growing problem, Owoeye proposed three key approaches, including reorientation, enforcement, and proactive measures.
“We need to engage local communities in their native languages, educating them on the consequences of vandalism. Strict legal penalties, including long-term imprisonment, should be enforced to deter offenders,” he said.
He also emphasized the need for preventive strategies rather than reactive responses. “Prevention is always more effective and cost-efficient than restoration,” he noted.
As a proactive measure, Owoeye proposed the creation of a dedicated fund to support advocacy and awareness campaigns across Nigeria.
To demonstrate his commitment, he pledged to contribute N500,000 quarterly as a seed fund and encouraged other industry players to follow suit.
“This is like planting a seed. With collective effort, we can grow it into a sustainable solution for protecting Nigeria’s telecom infrastructure,” he said.
The speakers collectively emphasised that addressing these challenges requires collaboration among industry players, government agencies, and local communities.
They called for a concerted effort to enforce policies, engage stakeholders, and implement practical solutions that will ensure the long-term sustainability of Nigeria’s telecommunication infrastructure.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has confirmed that the representatives of the petitioners seeking to recall the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District have now provided their contact details.
In a statement on Wednesday, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information & Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, said:
“The contact address of representatives of the petitioners, their telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses have now been provided in a letter addressed to the Chairman of the Commission.”
He added that INEC has formally notified the senator about the recall petition.
“As provided in Clause 2(a) of the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024, a letter has been written to notify the senator sought to be recalled about the receipt of the petition and delivered to her official address,” Olumekun stated.
He further explained that the same letter had been copied to the presiding officer of the Senate and published on the Commission’s website.
Speaking on the next step, Olumekun said INEC would now verify the signatures to ensure that more than 50% of registered voters in Kogi Central signed the petition.
“This will be done in the coming days. The outcome, which will be made public, shall determine the next step to be taken by the Commission,” he said.
Olumekun reassured Nigerians that the recall process would be conducted in an open and transparent manner.
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