The Sokoto State Government has defended President Bola Tinubu’s nomination of Professor Mustapha Aliyu as a National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission, insisting that the appointment was based on merit rather than family connections.
The government’s response followed objections raised by the African Democratic Congress governorship candidate in Sokoto State, Manir Dan’iya, who called on Tinubu to reconsider the nomination and urged the Senate to scrutinise the nominee’s qualifications and eligibility before confirmation.
Dan’iya expressed concern over the reported maternal relationship between Professor Aliyu and Sokoto State Governor Ahmed Aliyu, as well as questions about the nominee’s political affiliations.
However, the governor’s Special Adviser on Political Matters, Faruku Labbo, dismissed the concerns in a statement issued on Sunday, arguing that family relationships alone did not constitute grounds for disqualification.
Labbo maintained that Professor Aliyu was a qualified Nigerian and distinguished academic capable of serving in the national position. He also challenged Dan’iya to provide evidence that the nominee belonged to the ruling All Progressives Congress or held any party position that could compromise his impartiality.
According to Labbo, the nomination was intended to fill vacancies arising from the expiration of serving electoral commissioners’ tenures and was made in the national interest.
He accused the ADC candidate of politicising the appointment ahead of the 2027 general elections and urged the public to assess the nominee based on his professional competence and constitutional eligibility.
Meanwhile, Dan’iya insisted that the independence of INEC was essential to public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process. He cited Section 156(1)(a) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which stipulates that a person appointed as an INEC member must not belong to a political party.
The ADC candidate acknowledged that a family relationship alone did not establish wrongdoing but argued that the Senate should verify the nominee’s political affiliations and eligibility before deciding whether to confirm him.
Tinubu announced Professor Aliyu’s nomination on October 16, 2026, alongside other nominees for national commissioner and resident electoral commissioner positions. The nominations are subject to the applicable constitutional procedures.
The disagreement has renewed debate over transparency, political neutrality and public confidence in electoral institutions ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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