President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally requested the Senate to screen and confirm several high-profile appointments, including Professor Melvin D. Ayogu as a member of the Board of Directors of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nwakuche Sylvester Ndidi as controller-general of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCOS), and four nominees as resident electoral commissioners (RECs) for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Senate President Godswill Akpabio read the president’s letter, dated February 24, 2025, on the Senate floor yesterday in Abuja.
Tinubu emphasised that Ayogu’s appointment is essential to ensuring the full composition of the CBN Board, as mandated by the CBN Act of 2007.
“In compliance with the provisions of Section 10(1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) (Establishment) Act, 2007, I am pleased to present, for confirmation by the Senate, the appointment of Prof. Melvin D. Ayogu as a member of the Board of Directors of the Central Bank of Nigeria,” the letter reads.
He urged the Senate to expedite the confirmation process to ensure effective governance at the apex bank.
In a related development, Tinubu also submitted Nwakuche Sylvester Ndidi’s nomination for confirmation as the controller-general of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCOS) in accordance with Section 3(1)(b) of the Nigerian Correctional Service Act, 2019.
“While I hope that the Senate will consider this request in the usual expeditious manner, please accept, Distinguished Senate President, the assurances of my highest consideration,” the letter reads.
President Tinubu further proposed the confirmation of four new resident electoral commissioners (RECs) for INEC.
The nominees are: Umar Yusuf Garba (Kano), Saad Umar (Bauchi), Chukwuemeka C. Ibeziako (Anambra), Mohammed I. Ngoshe (Borno).
Citing Section 154(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Tinubu underscored the urgency of confirming the nominees to strengthen INEC’s operational capacity ahead of upcoming elections.
Notably, the president clarified that this letter supersedes a previous correspondence on the subject, dated March 5, 2025.
With the Senate expected to begin the screening process in the coming days, all eyes will be on lawmakers as they deliberate on these key appointments. The nominees will play critical roles in economic policy, electoral administration, and correctional system reforms if confirmed.
