Lawal appoints Gusau as Zamfara electoral commission’s chairman

Governor Dauda Lawal has appointed Bala Gusau as the new chairman of the Zamfara State Independent Electoral Commission (ZASIEC).

Suleman Tudu, a Senior Special Assistant (Media) in the Office of the Secretary to the State Government, gave the announcement in a statement on Friday.

“Based on the powers conferred on him by the relevant provisions of the Zamfara State Electoral Laws, Governor Dauda Lawal has approved the appointment of Bala Aliyu Gusau as the new Chairman for the Zamfara State Independent Electoral Commission (ZASIEC),” the statement read.

The appointment follows the demise of the former chairman of the Commission.

The Secretary to the State Government, Abubakar Nakwada, noted that the appointment is subject to confirmation by the Zamfara State House of Assembly.

Gusau holds two postgraduate certificates in leadership and development from Galilee College in Israel and Kansas State University in the USA.

He also earned a B.Sc Ed in Economics from Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, after obtaining his National Certificate in Education (NCE).

The statement said that Gusau has an illustrious career in public service spanning three decades, rising to the position of Director in the Zamfara State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning before transferring to the federal civil service.

There, he served in various capacities, including Zonal Director for Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara at the National Television Authority and Director of Special Duties at NTA Headquarters in Abuja.

“He also served as the Permanent Member of the Zamfara State Universal Basic Education Board before this appointment,” the statement added.

Governor Lawal expressed expectations that Gusau would leverage his wealth of experience to drive ZASIEC’s vision for conducting free, fair, and credible local government elections in the state.

Zamfara, located in the North-West region of Nigeria, is anticipated to conduct local government elections in the coming months following a Supreme Court verdict that granted autonomy to local governments.

The Federal Government has mandated states to carry out council polls in light of this landmark decision.