President Bola Tinubu on Thursday swore in the Chairman and 37 commissioners of the Federal Character Commission at the State House, Abuja.
The new chairman, Hulayat Omidiran, took the oath of office alongside commissioners representing the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory at about 4:48pm.
Omidiran, 59, a former two-term member of the House of Representatives, represented Ayedaade/Irewole/Isokan Federal Constituency of Osun State between 2011 and 2019.
She succeeds Dr Muheeba Dankaka, whose tenure the Presidency said was “dogged by controversy.”
The Ikire-born politician is a graduate of Biochemistry from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and is said to have experience spanning legislative and sports administration.
Her appointment was confirmed by the Senate on November 27, 2025, after she underwent statutory screening, including security checks and appearance before the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs on October 30.
Tinubu also swore in Mohammed Musa as Secretary of the commission.
Among the commissioners inaugurated were 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) and Babangida Gwana (Bauchi).
Others include Sir Tonye Okio (Bayelsa), Aligba Tarkende (Benue), Modu Mustapha (Borno), Dr 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), Dr Ibrahim Abdullahi (Kwara), Kayode Oladele (Ogun), Isah Jibrin (Niger), Ajimudu Bola (Ondo), Prince 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).
The Federal Character Commission, established by Act No. 34 of 1996 and backed by Sections 14 and 153 of the 1999 Constitution, is charged with promoting fairness in the distribution of public appointments and socio-economic infrastructure across the country.
The commission is empowered to set guidelines for appointments into the civil and public service, security agencies and government parastatals, as well as sanction heads of agencies found to have violated the federal character principle.
The ceremony was attended by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, and other top government officials.