Sokoto govt insists appointment on merit

African Democratic Congress (ADC) has raised concerns over the nomination of Prof. Mustapha Aliu as a commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), alleging that he is a maternal brother of Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu.

But the Sokoto State Government dismissed the concerns raised by the ADC governorship candidate, Manir Dan’iya, insisting that the appointment was based on merit.

ADC spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, shared on his official X handle yesterday, said the alleged relationship between the nominee and the governor, who is seeking re-election on the APC platform “raises serious questions about impartiality, public confidence and the credibility of the electoral process.”

The party called on the Senate to thoroughly scrutinise the nominees, citing Section 156(1)(a) of the Constitution, which it said prohibits membership of a political party by an INEC member.

“The principle is clear: electoral referees must not only be impartial, they must be seen to be impartial. We join all well-meaning Nigerians in calling on the Senate to subject this nomination to rigorous scrutiny and reject the nomination based on partiality,” it stated.

MEANWHILE, Sokoto government challenged Dan’iya to provide evidence of alleged political affiliations that could undermine the nominee’s impartiality, arguing that his family relationship with Governor Aliyu was not sufficient grounds for disqualification.

Special Adviser to the governor on Political Matters, Faruku Labbo, stated this in a statement yesterday while reacting to Dan’iya’s call on Tinubu to reconsider the nomination and the Senate to subject the nominee to rigorous scrutiny before confirmation.

Labbo maintained that the professor was qualified for the national assignment and did not hold any position in the APC at any level.

He challenged the ADC candidate to prove otherwise, stressing that family ties alone did not constitute constitutional disqualification.

Labbo described Aliyu as a distinguished academic and a bona fide Nigerian citizen qualified to serve in the national position.

The Presidency announced Aliyu’s nomination on October 16, 2026, alongside three other national commissioners and two Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs).

Apart from Aliyu, nominated to represent the North-West, Tinubu nominated also Bashir Umar for North-Central, replacing Professor Muhammad Adamu, while reappointing Dr Bala Bila for the North-East.

The President also nominated Oluwatoyin Babalola, the serving REC in Osun State, to replace Prof. Cornelius Ajayi as the South-West National Commissioner following the expiration of his tenure.

Additionally, Dr Samuel Akinleye and Zahradden Sanusi were nominated as RECs for Ekiti and Jigawa states, respectively.