President Bola Tinubu has nominated six officials to fill vacancies at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The nominees comprise four national commissioners and two resident electoral commissioners (RECs), according to a statement issued on Friday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

The nominations will be forwarded to the Senate for screening and confirmation.

Tinubu also reappointed Dr Bala Bila as the national commissioner representing the North-East.

Among the newly nominated national commissioners is Professor Mustapha Aliu, who is expected to replace Professor Abdullahi Zuru as the representative of the North-West.

Bashir Muhammed Umar has also been nominated to replace Professor Muhammad Adamu as the national commissioner representing the North-Central.

For the South-West, the President nominated Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, the current Resident Electoral Commissioner in Osun State, to replace Professor Cornelius Ajayi, whose tenure expires on October 24, 2026.

The two nominees for resident electoral commissioner positions are retired permanent secretary, Dr Samuel Akinjide Akinleye, nominated to represent Ekiti State, and Zahradden Basiru Sanusi from Jigawa State, who is expected to replace Professor Saidu Ahmed Babura.

Tinubu urged the Senate to expedite the confirmation process in view of the forthcoming general elections scheduled for January 2027.

The nominations come as INEC prepares to oversee the next general elections across the country, with the commission expected to play a critical role in ensuring the conduct of credible polls.

Meanwhile, Tinubu has directed the women’s mobilisation structure of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council to intensify grassroots engagement ahead of the 2027 elections.

The President gave the directive during the inauguration of the campaign council in Abuja, where he charged the Director of Women Mobilisation, Dr Betta Edu, other members of the directorate and party leaders to mobilise support for the ruling party.

Tinubu praised Nigerian women for their contributions to the country’s political development and the APC’s electoral successes, describing them as indispensable to the party’s re-election efforts because of their numerical strength, organisational abilities and influence within families and communities.

“Women are the greatest mobilizers,” the President said.

He urged Edu and her team to translate women’s support into a coordinated nationwide campaign capable of securing victory for the party in 2027.

The women’s mobilisation directorate has set a target of securing 40 million votes from women for the Tinubu-Shettima ticket. Its strategy covers 176,846 communities and political structures across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The campaign plans to strengthen ward-level organisation, household engagement, community outreach and polling-unit mobilisation to reach voters beyond major political rallies.

Preparations have also included activities led by First Lady Oluremi Tinubu. At a pre-inaugural Women’s Summit and Empowerment Programme held in Abuja on October 5, women stakeholders from across the country gathered for an event that featured the distribution of livelihood-support items, including motorbikes and farm trucks, to beneficiaries.

Edu has also called on APC women to maintain unity, discipline and sustained engagement with voters as the party prepares for the 2027 general elections.