The Senate has confirmed Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). His confirmation followed a thorough screening exercise on Thursday at the Senate Chamber, during which lawmakers questioned him for three hours on issues relating to electoral integrity, legal affiliations, and reforms.
The screening took place after President Bola Tinubu forwarded his nomination to the Senate for consideration. The letter, read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, urged lawmakers to give the nominee expeditious attention in line with Section 154 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
Following the Committee of the Whole, Akpabio put the nomination to a voice vote, and the “ayes” prevailed without any dissenting voices, sealing Amupitan’s confirmation. Akpabio subsequently charged him to ensure that elections are conducted where “votes will count.”
During the screening, Amupitan clarified that he had never served as legal counsel to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 Presidential Election Petition Tribunal or at the Supreme Court. He stressed that relevant law reports are available for public verification.
The newly confirmed INEC Chairman pledged to ensure credible and transparent elections, promising that future polls would be conducted in a manner that allows losers to congratulate winners—thereby strengthening Nigeria’s democracy.
Amupitan also highlighted plans to enhance logistics and deploy cloned materials to safeguard election resources. Additionally, he promised robust voter education campaigns aimed at improving public participation and confidence in the electoral process.
