Senate Confirms Amupitan As INEC Chairman

The Senate has confirmed Professor Joash Amupitan as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Amupitan, a professor of law, was confirmed on Thursday after undergoing screening on the floor of the upper chamber. His confirmation followed over two hours of questioning by senators on how he intends to restore public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process and implement meaningful reforms in the commission.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had earlier nominated Amupitan, whose appointment was endorsed by the National Council of State last week.

The 58-year-old academic becomes the sixth substantive chairman of INEC, succeeding Professor Mahmood Yakubu, whose tenure recently expired.

During his screening, Amupitan pledged to pursue reforms that would strengthen the credibility of Nigeria’s elections and ensure that outcomes reflect the will of the people.

“If we can make elections credible enough for even the losers to accept the results, then we would have succeeded,” he told the lawmakers.

Amupitan also dismissed claims that he served as counsel to President Tinubu or any political party during the 2023 presidential election petitions, clarifying that he was not involved in any of the tribunal cases.

With his confirmation, attention now shifts to how the new INEC boss will manage the electoral body’s reform agenda and upcoming off-season elections across the country.