President Bola Tinubu on Thursday administered the oath of office to the new Chairman and Commissioners of the Federal Character Commission, FCC, at the State House, Abuja.
Hulyat Omidiran was sworn in as FCC Chairman alongside 37 commissioners representing the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Omidiran, 59 years old, who served two terms in the House of Representatives for Ayedaade/Irewole/Isokan Federal Constituency of Osun State from 2011 to 2019, takes over from Dr Muheeba Dankaka, whose tenure was described by the Presidency as dogged by controversy.
A native of Ikire, Omidiran holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Her background spans legislative work and sports administration, having served as Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Sports and holding several key positions in Nigerian football and sports bodies.
She has served on the board of the Nigeria Football Federation, chaired the NFF Women’s Football Committee, served on the FIFA Women’s Football Committee, and was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Nigeria Olympic Committee.
Omidiran is also the founder of Omidiran Babes Football Club, a women’s football club based in Osogbo, Osun State, established in 1997.
Tinubu appointed her on August 11, 2025, after initially announcing the reappointment of Dankaka for a second term earlier the same day.
Her appointment was later confirmed by the Senate on November 27, 2025, following the mandatory vetting process, which included security screening and her appearance before the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs on October 30.
Mohammed Musa was also appointed as Secretary of the commission.
The commissioners 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), 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, created under Act No. 34 of 1996 and backed by Sections 14 and 153 of the 1999 Constitution, is responsible for ensuring equitable distribution of public positions and socio-economic resources among Nigeria’s federating units.
It is tasked with developing fair guidelines for appointments into the civil service, public service, security agencies, and government parastatals, and it has the power to sanction agency heads who breach the federal character principle.
The swearing-in ceremony was attended by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, and other senior government officials.
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