The Independent National Electoral Commission office in the Federal Capital Territory was filled with mixed emotions on Monday following the redeployment of Resident Electoral Commissioner Aminu Kasimu Idris to Benue State.
Idris, who leaves after 11 months in the FCT, will replace Professor Samuel G. Egwu as REC for Benue. Egwu has also been redeployed to Plateau State. Dr. Hale Gabriel Longpet, moved from Kwara State, will take over as the new REC for the FCT.
Redeployed to the FCT in May 2025, Idris oversaw the FCT Area Council elections held on 21 February 2026, an exercise widely adjudged peaceful and transparent.
Staff at INEC FCT expressed both joy and anxiety at his departure.
Mrs. Bimbo Oladunjoye, Administration Secretary, INEC FCT, described Mallam Idris as “a great gentleman with a spirit of excellence” who “does not take excuses for non-performance.”
“He has a flair for ensuring that anyone who works with him is happy and able to do the work well. He cannot stand seeing you unhappy he must know why and find a solution,” she said.
“He is a goal-getter and a solution provider. You cannot miss him, even in a crowd of intellectuals. He is vast and very knowledgeable about his job. One thing is certain: he is a man of excellence.
“His transfer came as a surprise. I didn’t expect it because he spent only about 10 months here. But he has done his part he delivered good elections and gave us a better working environment. It is time for him to move on to greater heights.
“Benue State is complex. He knows how to handle people the good, the bad, and the ugly. He works with everybody. I believe there won’t be any issues in Benue, despite the tense political atmosphere. I wish him all the best.”
Ms. Titanana Elizabeth, Protocol Officer to the REC, said she worked closely with Idris and described him as “more as a father” to staff.
“He made his office very welcoming. Everyone had access to walk in and get solutions. It has been hectic because people were always coming in and out. That shows the kind of person he is always ready to receive people,” she said.
“He challenges you to improve yourself. Most of us were not as good as we are now before he came. We can boldly attest that his presence here made us better.
“This redeployment came as a big shock. A lot of us are still trying to absorb it. He will be greatly missed here. Benue State has received an outstanding personality.
“I have been getting calls as his protocol officer. People in Benue are telling us how excited they are to have him because they have also heard a lot of good reports about him.”
Idris’s redeployment is part of a wider shake-up of RECs by the Commission.
