President Bola Tinubu has nominated Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola, the current Resident Electoral Commissioner in Osun State, to become the National Commissioner representing the South-West at the Independent National Electoral Commission. She is set to succeed Professor Cornelius (Kunle) Ajayi, whose five-year tenure expires on 24 October 2026.
Key Highlights
- Tinubu nominates Osun REC Oluwatoyin Babalola as INEC National Commissioner for the South-West.
- She will succeed Prof. Kunle Ajayi, whose five-year tenure ends on 24 October 2026.
- Babalola oversaw the August 2026 Osun governorship election and earlier served as REC in Ondo.
- The Senate must still screen and confirm her and the other nominees.
- Tinubu has urged expedited confirmation ahead of the January 2027 general elections.
The nomination forms part of a broader set of appointments announced on Friday by presidential aide Bayo Onanuga to fill vacancies created by expiring tenures. Babalola’s elevation is the clearest internal promotion among the South-West-related changes.
Ajayi’s Departure: A Scheduled Exit After Full Tenure
Professor Kunle Ajayi, a political scientist from Ekiti State University specialising in international relations, peace, security, and governance, was appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari and sworn in around late October 2021. He has served the full statutory five-year term as South-West National Commissioner.
During his time on the Commission he chaired the Outreach and Partnership Committee, which handles the accreditation and liaison with domestic and international election observers as well as broader stakeholder engagement. An earlier INEC official note in early October confirmed that Ajayi’s exit this month would complete the set of tenure expirations among several national commissioners, with the vacancies requiring prompt replacement to maintain full strength.
His departure is therefore a routine end-of-tenure transition rather than an abrupt removal.
Babalola’s Recent Role and the Path to National Level
Babalola has been active as a Resident Electoral Commissioner in the South-West. She previously served in Ondo State and was redeployed to Osun earlier in 2026. In Osun she oversaw preparations and the conduct of the August 2026 governorship election.
Public statements and activities during that period included updates on PVC collection rates, coordination with security agencies and the ICPC on measures against vote buying, voter education efforts, and the eventual presentation of the certificate of return after the poll. She had also managed aspects of the 2024 Ondo governorship process while based there.
Moving her from state-level REC duties—where she has just managed a full off-cycle election—to a national commissioner seat for the same geopolitical zone represents a direct promotion of operational experience within INEC. National commissioners contribute to policy oversight, committee work, and cross-zonal coordination, while RECs handle day-to-day state execution. The nomination therefore keeps South-West representation continuous while shifting someone with recent field-level election management into the higher role.
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Timing and Confirmation
Ajayi’s tenure ends in just over a week (24 October). The Senate must still screen and confirm Babalola (and the other nominees) before she can assume the position. Tinubu has urged expedited confirmation given the approach of the January 2027 general elections.
If confirmed promptly, Babalola would step into the South-West national commissioner role with the benefit of having managed recent state elections in both Ondo and Osun, at a moment when INEC is intensifying preparations under Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan. The transition is one of the more concrete personnel moves linking hands-on state experience to national-level oversight in the lead-up to 2027.
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