Our Reporter, Abuja
The Senate has confirmed Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
His confirmation followed a three-hour screening session at the Senate Chamber on Thursday, during which lawmakers extensively questioned the nominee put forward by President Bola Tinubu.
Presiding over the plenary, Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the confirmation after the Committee of the Whole adopted its report. The approval, he said, was unanimous and without dissent.
“Professor Amupitan has been approved without any objection. We urge him to ensure that votes count under his leadership,” Akpabio stated.
During the screening, Amupitan denied ever serving as Legal Counsel to the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the 2023 Presidential Election Petition Tribunal and the subsequent Supreme Court proceedings. He maintained that all relevant law reports were publicly available for verification.
The new INEC Chairman pledged to strengthen the electoral process by improving logistics, safeguarding sensitive materials through the use of cloned security features, and promoting aggressive voter education across the country.
Amupitan also vowed to ensure credible elections in which “losers will congratulate winners,” stressing that such outcomes were vital for national unity and development.
Earlier, Akpabio read a letter from President Tinubu urging the Senate to give expeditious consideration to the nomination.
The letter read in part: “In accordance with the provisions of Section 154(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), I am pleased to present for confirmation by the Senate the appointment of Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, as Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Attached is his curriculum vitae for your kind consideration.”
