Gesila Khan

Gesila Khan is the current Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission Cross River State Branch. She held the same position at the Delta State Branch from 2012 to 2014 and at the Rivers State Branch from 2014 to 2016.

Personal life Khan is originally from Bayelsa State, in southern Nigeria. She is married. Career

Khan assumed office as Resident Electoral Commissioner for Delta State in 2012, where she served until her redeployment to Rivers State in December 2014. She oversaw the conduct of the March and April 2015 general elections in Rivers State, a particularly contentious electoral exercise that was subsequently upheld by the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

In January 2016, INEC redeployed her from Rivers State to Cross River State as Resident Electoral Commissioner.

EFCC arrest

In April 2016, Khan was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Port Harcourt in connection with allegations of receiving ₦185.8 million ahead of the 2015 general elections in Rivers State. The Ijaw Youth Council condemned her arrest, describing it as a politically motivated action and demanding her immediate release.

Chieftaincy title

While serving as REC in Cross River State, Khan was conferred with a chieftaincy title by the people of Gesila community in Yakkur Local Government Area, who celebrated her for sharing the same name as their community. The name Gesila means bravery, preciousness, and trustworthiness in the Yakkur dialect, with a similar meaning in Ijaw.