Tinubu Appoints Ayo Hulayat Omidiran New FCC Chairman,Names Secretary and 30 Commissioners

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Ayo Hulayat Omidiran, a former House of Representatives member from Osun State, as the new Executive Chairman of the Federal Character Commission (FCC). Omidiran succeeds Dr. Muheeba Dankaka, whose tenure was marked by controversy. This appointment came after an unusual sequence in which President Tinubu initially reappointed Dankaka for a second five-year term but then reversed the decision within hours, appointing Omidiran instead.

Alongside Omidiran’s appointment, Tinubu named Mohammed Musa as the Commission’s secretary and retained Kayode Oladele from Ogun State as a commissioner. Oladele, also a former federal lawmaker, was first appointed to the FCC in 2024 and had served as the acting chairman following the expiration of Dankaka’s first term. The President also renewed the appointments of Lawal Ya’u Roni (Jigawa), Abubakar Atiku Bunu (Kebbi), Eludayo Eluyemi (Osun), and Abdulwasiu Kayode Bawalla (Lagos) for another term.

In addition, President Tinubu appointed 30 new commissioners to serve as representatives of various states across Nigeria. Some of the newly appointed commissioners include Hon. Obina Oriaku (Abia), Mrs. Bema Olvadi Madayi (Adamawa), Obongawan Dora Ebong (Akwa Ibom), Hon. Nnoli Nkechi Gloria (Anambra), Babangida Adamu Gwana (Bauchi), Sir Tonye Okio (Bayelsa), Aligba Eugene Tarkende (Benue), and Modu Mustapha (Borno), among others. The full list also comprises representatives from states including Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Ondo, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara, and the Federal Capital Territory.

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President Tinubu further appointed Ms. Rinsola Abiola as Director-General of the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre (CLTC) and Nasir Bala Aminu Ja’oji as Senior Special Assistant on Citizenship and Leadership. These appointments aim to enhance the leadership capacity and promote equitable federal representation as mandated to the FCC.

This significant reshuffle comes as the Federal Character Commission continues to play a vital role in ensuring equitable distribution of federal appointments and resources among Nigeria’s diverse states and ethnic groups. The changes are expected to steer the commission towards renewed effectiveness under Ayo Hulayat Omidiran’s leadership.