The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Ogun State, Barrister ‘Niyi Ijalaye, has passed away.
Ijalaye reportedly collapsed and died in Abuja on Monday evening following a meeting of Resident Electoral Commissioners at INEC’s headquarters. The cause of his death remains unknown.
According to an anonymous source, the former REC had returned to his hotel room after the meeting when the incident occurred. The source added that the Ondo-born administrator, who appeared cheerful throughout the meeting, retired to a hotel in the Federal Capital Territory before his sudden demise.
The meeting, according to a statement from INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu shared on the commission’s verified Facebook page, focused on the upcoming off-cycle governorship elections in Edo and Ondo States, as well as seven vacant positions in the National and State Assemblies.
During the meeting, Barrister Ijalaye, who wore a blue-striped kaftan with a red cap, was seen in a photo posted by the commission on its timeline.
Barrister Ijalaye was appointed as the Ogun REC in March 2022, following the transfer of Olusegun Agbaje to Lagos State.