The Nigerian Senate has confirmed Professor Joash Amupitan as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following a rigorous screening session on Thursday.
Amupitan, a 58-year-old professor of law, was nominated by President Bola Tinubu and received prior endorsement from the National Council of State. His confirmation marks the beginning of a new chapter at the commission, succeeding Mahmood Yakubu, whose tenure officially ended recently.
During the over two-hour confirmation hearing, senators pressed Amupitan on key electoral issues, including credibility, transparency, and voter confidence. In response, he pledged sweeping reforms to restore integrity to Nigeria’s elections.
“Nigeria deserves elections where the loser will congratulate the winner,” Amupitan said, stressing the need to review the Electoral Act and streamline election timelines. “If we can do that, it’s just like a judge convicting a person, sentencing him to death, and he (the convict) says, ‘Well done, because I believe I’ve gotten justice.’”
He emphasized that addressing inconsistencies in election timelines would strengthen the democratic process and rebuild public trust in electoral outcomes.
Amupitan also used the occasion to deny reports linking him to legal teams involved in the 2023 Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPC). Responding to questions from lawmakers, he categorically stated that he did not represent President Tinubu, Peter Obi of the Labour Party, or any opposition parties in the election tribunal or Supreme Court.
“The law reports are available, and I brought certified true copies of those who appeared. I was not involved,” he told the Senate.
With his confirmation, Amupitan becomes the sixth substantive INEC Chairman, taking on the task of overseeing Nigeria’s future elections amid heightened public scrutiny and calls for reform.
