Tinubu Revamps FCC: Omidiran Takes Charge Amid Reform Push
ABUJA — President Bola Tinubu, presided over the swearing-in ceremony of Hulayat Omidiran as the Executive Chairman of the Federal Character Commission (FCC) on Thursday at the State House.
Also inaugurated at the ceremony were 37 commissioners representing the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, alongside the new Commission Secretary, Mohammed Musa.
Omidiran, 59, succeeds Dr. Muheeba Dankaka. The Presidency noted that Omidiran’s appointment follows a period for the commission that was “dogged by controversy” under the previous leadership.
The new Chairperson is a seasoned administrator and former two-term member of the House of Representatives, where she represented the Ayedaade/Irewole/Isokan constituency of Osun State between 2011 and 2019. An Ahmadu Bello University biochemistry graduate, Omidiran is also well-known in the sports sector, having served on the boards of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Nigeria Olympic Committee.
Her path to the chairmanship involved a rigorous vetting process. Following her appointment in August 2025, she underwent security screening and appeared before the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs in October, eventually receiving Senate confirmation on November 27, 2025.
The FCC remains one of Nigeria’s most critical constitutional bodies. Established by Act No. 34 of 1996, its mandate is rooted in Sections 14 and 153 of the 1999 Constitution. The commission is legally tasked with:
Ensuring Parity: Overseeing the equitable distribution of public sector jobs and socio-economic infrastructure.
Standardizing Recruitment: Creating guidelines for appointments within the civil service, security agencies, and parastatals.
Enforcement: Exercising the power to sanction heads of government agencies who bypass federal character principles.
The newly inaugurated commissioners include:
South East: Peter Eze (Enugu), Obinna Oriaku (Abia), Nnoli Gloria (Anambra), Nwokpor Vincent Nduka (Ebonyi), Jerry Alagbaoso (Imo).
South West: AbdulWasiu Bawalla (Lagos), Eludayo Eluyemi (Osun), Sola Fokanle (Ekiti), Kayode Oladele (Ogun), Ajimudu Bola (Ondo), Prince Ayodeji Abas Aleshinloye (Oyo).
North & Others: Lawal Roni (Jigawa), Abubakar Bunu (Kebbi), Bema Madayi (Adamawa), Sir Tonye Okio (Bayelsa), and Solomon Dagami (FCT), among others.
The event was attended by high-ranking administration officials, including the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake.
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