The Senate will on Wednesday screen and confirm Honourable Ayo Omidiran, recently appointed Chairman of the Federal Character Commission, alongside the newly appointed Service Chiefs.

This follows a request from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu seeking urgent legislative approval for the appointments. The President’s correspondence, read during Tuesday’s plenary by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, urged the upper chamber to expedite consideration of the nominees in line with Section 18(1) of the Armed Forces Act (Cap A20, LFN 2004).

President Tinubu explained that the appointments were aimed at strengthening the command structure of the Armed Forces and improving coordination in the ongoing fight against insecurity across the country.

After reading the letter, Akpabio referred the matter to the Committee of the Whole and scheduled Wednesday for the screening and confirmation exercise. He described the request as a matter of urgent national importance, noting that prompt confirmation would ensure a smooth transition in military leadership and sustain the momentum in ongoing security operations.

The new Service Chiefs are 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.

Honourable Ayo Omidiran, a former member of the House of Representatives and respected sports administrator, was appointed in August as Chairman of the Federal Character Commission, pending Senate confirmation.

Akpabio said all nominees would be screened together to fast-track the process and ensure a seamless transition across critical federal leadership structures.

The Senate’s swift consideration underscores renewed synergy between the Legislature and the Executive in strengthening national institutions, consolidating defence leadership, and advancing efforts to restore public confidence in governance.