Ex-NFF stalwart poised for Senate screening, confirmation as Federal Character Commission chair

By Dayo Awoniyi

The Nigerian Senate is expected to screen and confirm Honourable Ayo Omidiran as the new Chairman of the Federal Character Commission (FCC) on Wednesday, alongside the recently appointed Service Chiefs, following a formal request from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Nigeria Footballng reports.

President Tinubu’s communication, read during Tuesday’s plenary by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, sought urgent legislative consideration for the nominees in accordance with Section 18(1) of the Armed Forces Act (Cap A20, LFN 2004).

The President explained that the nominations were part of efforts to strengthen the nation’s security architecture and enhance coordination within the military’s command structure.

Following the reading of the letter, Senate President Akpabio referred the nominations to the Committee of the Whole and fixed Wednesday’s plenary for the screening and confirmation exercise. He underscored the urgency of the process, describing it as crucial to ensuring a seamless transition in both defence and administrative leadership.

The Service Chiefs slated for confirmation include Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede as Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Waidi Shaibu as Chief of Army Staff, Rear Admiral Ibrahim Abbas as Chief of Naval Staff, and Air Vice Marshal S.K. Aneke as Chief of Air Staff.

Also listed for confirmation is Ayo Omidiran, a former lawmaker, sports administrator, and ex-member of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) Board, who was nominated by President Tinubu in August to lead the Federal Character Commission pending Senate approval.

A trailblazer in women’s football development, Omidiran is the founder of Omidiran Babes FC of Osogbo and has served on FIFA’s Women’s Committee since 2006. Her anticipated confirmation represents a significant acknowledgement of her leadership and contributions within and beyond Nigeria’s sporting landscape, as the Senate moves to ratify new appointments in both defence and governance.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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