The Nigerian Senate has confirmed the appointment of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN), as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
President Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday, requested the senate’s confirmation for Amupitan as chairman of the National Electoral Commission following approval of his nomination by the National Council of State. His appointment followed the expiration of tenure of Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who served from 2015 till October 2025.
Amupitan, a law professor, was confirmed on Thursday by the senate after he was screened by a committee of the whole with questions bordering on credible elections, electoral reforms, and the deployment of technology to enhance transparency in Nigeria’s voting system.
The INEC chair pledged to strengthen voter education, expand civic training to schools, and encourage greater participation of women, young people and persons with disabilities in elections.
“There is a need for voter education, and it is the mandate of INEC. We will have basic courses and modules that will be downloaded by voters, along with capacity training.
“On the participation of women and persons with disabilities, I believe the time is right for that. The policies and laws must be put together for that purpose. When we notice necessities like that, we will require legislative interventions so that they are encapsulated in law. With NIMC and INEC working together, we will capture that”, he assured.
On the debate over whether INEC should take over local government elections, the nominee advised caution. While acknowledging growing public demand for reform, he warned that such a shift could overstretch the commission’s current resources.
“The conduct of local government elections has been debated widely. The view of most people is that the power should be handed to INEC because of what has happened in the local government and area councils. They already use data compiled by INEC, but the question is whether that will add another burden on INEC. We will look into it, but I cannot provide an answer for now”, he noted.
Amupitan also dismissed claims that he once served as part of President Bola Tinubu’s legal defence team.
“I never appeared in the presidential election tribunal at the Supreme Court. Mentorship will not compromise my principle or my standard”, he declared.
Earlier, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who presided over the plenary session disclosed that Amupitan had been cleared by the National Security Adviser, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Nigeria Police Force after necessary background checks
