President Bola Tinubu on Thursday swore in Ayo Omidiran as the chairperson of the Federal Character Commission (FCC), alongside 37 commissioners representing the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
reports that the ceremony took place at about 4:48 pm at the State House, Abuja.
Omidiran, 59, from Osun State, is a former member of the House of Representatives who served between 2011 and 2019. She is also a sports administrator, a member of committees of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and FIFA, and the founder of Omidiran Babes FC.
She replaces Muheeba Dankaka, the immediate past chairperson of the commission.
Omidiran was appointed on August 11, 2025, and confirmed by the Senate on November 27.
Commissioners sworn in
Those sworn in include:
Peter Eze (Enugu), AbdulWasiu Bawalla (Lagos), Obinna Oriaku (Abia), Lawal Roni (Jigawa), Abubakar Bunu (Kebbi), Eludayo Eluyemi (Osun), Bema Madayi (Adamawa), Dora Ebong (Akwa Ibom), Nnoli Gloria (Anambra), Babangida Gwana (Bauchi), Tonye Okio (Bayelsa), Aligba Tarkende (Benue), Modu Mustapha (Borno), Stella Ekpo (Cross River), Ederin Idisi (Delta), Nwokpor Vincent Nduka (Ebonyi), Victor Sabor Edoror (Edo), Sola Fokanle (Ekiti), Ibrahim Baba Mairiga (Gombe), Jerry Alagbaoso (Imo), Ruth Ango (Kaduna), Muhammad Awwal Nayya (Kano), Anas Isah (Katsina), Bello Idris Eneye (Kogi), Ibrahim Abdullahi (Kwara), Kayode Oladele (Ogun), Isah Jibrin (Niger), Ajimudu Bola (Ondo), Ayodeji Abas Aleshinloye (Oyo), Pam Bolman (Plateau), Aaron Chukwuemeka (Rivers), Aminu Tambar (Sokoto), Bobboi Kaigama (Taraba), Jibir Maigari (Yobe), Sani Garba (Zamfara), and Solomon Dagami (FCT).
About the FCC
The Federal Character Commission was established under Act No. 34 of 1996 and is backed by Sections 14 and 153 of the 1999 Constitution.
It is mandated to ensure equitable distribution of public offices, infrastructure and opportunities among the states and the FCT, and it has powers to prosecute violations of the federal character principle.
Dignitaries present
Those in attendance included Femi Gbajabiamila, chief of staff to the president; Dele Alake, minister of solid minerals development; Temitope Fashedemi, permanent secretary of the State House; and John Ezeamama, permanent secretary of the cabinet affairs office.
