Senate Confirms Adamu Aliyu as New ICPC Chairman

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Senate has officially confirmed Mr Adamu Aliyu as the substantive chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

He was confirmed following a screening session at the plenary on Thursday, a day after President Bola Tinubu pleaded with the upper chamber to speed up his confirmation.

The screening commenced at approximately 11:50 am following a request by Mr Bamidele Opeyemi to temporarily suspend specific Senate rules, permitting external individuals to enter the chamber.

The Deputy Senate President, Mr Jibirin Barau, led the screening of Mr Aliyu, who was the Attorney General of Jigawa State until his confirmation.

President Tinubu on Wednesday sent a letter to the Senate, requesting the confirmation for Mr Aliyu as the agency’s chairman.

Last Tuesday, Mr Tinubu appointed Mr Aliyu, who was serving as the Jigawa State Commissioner for Justice, for the national job. He also chose Mr Clifford Okwudiri Oparaodu as the secretary of the commission.

“The new Chairman of the ICPC is nominated for confirmation by the Nigerian Senate, following the President’s approval of the outgoing Chairman’s request to proceed on pre-end of tenure leave beginning on November 4, 2023, ahead of the expiration of his tenure on February 3, 2024,” the Presidential spokesman, Mr Ajuri Ngelale, disclosed in a statement.

According to Mr Ajuri, the appointment was “in furtherance of the Renewed Hope mandate to reform key institutions and invigorate Nigeria’s war on corruption.”