By peace Udugba
Abuja – The Nigerian Senate has confirmed Professor Joash Amupitan as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following a voice vote by lawmakers during plenary.
Amupitan’s confirmation came after he successfully underwent screening, during which he addressed various questions posed by senators concerning the future of Nigeria’s electoral system.
While addressing the Senate, Professor Amupitan pledged to carry out a thorough audit of INEC’s logistics, operations, and systems, particularly those employed during the 2023 general elections. He said the exercise would identify key weaknesses and develop practical reforms in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
Highlighting areas in need of urgent reform, Amupitan referenced the Supreme Court’s ruling that the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IREV) was not a legally recognised part of the results collation process. He stressed that this was not properly communicated to the public before the elections.
“A lot of people thought it was part of the results collation system, but the Supreme Court said it is not,” he stated.
Amupitan also called for the establishment of a dedicated Electoral Offences Commission to investigate and prosecute electoral offences, noting that INEC currently lacks the legal and operational capacity to do so.
President Bola Tinubu nominated Professor Amupitan—a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, former Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Jos, and expert in constitutional and international law—to succeed Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
The new INEC Chairman is expected to drive institutional reforms, deepen transparency, and enhance the application of technology in Nigeria’s electoral process.
