ABUJA, Nigeria (PANA) — Abel Guobadia, a former ambassador to South Korea, has been appointed the new chairman of Nigeria's Independent Electoral Commission.

He replaces Ephraim Akpata, who died in January after supervising a set of polls that returned Nigeria to democracy a year ago.

Guobadia's appointment by President Olusegun Obasanjo was approved Wednesday by Nigeria's 109-member senate, with most of the lawmakers describing him as an "illustrious Nigerian."

He told reporters after his confirmation that his priority was to conduct free and fair elections.

"My greatest challenge is to conduct free and fair elections...the (conduct) of elections which Nigerians would see as free from rancour."

The army has ruled Nigeria for some 30 years since it gained independence in 1960.