Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN), has promised to conduct elections that are free, fair, and credible.
Amupitan made the pledge on Thursday during his screening and confirmation by the Senate, following his nomination by President Bola Tinubu. He faced senators for over three hours, answering questions on electoral reforms, neutrality, and the integrity of Nigeria’s voting process.
Presiding over the session, Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the confirmation after a unanimous voice vote, declaring that Amupitan was approved without any dissenting opinion.
“He is hereby confirmed without any dissenting voice. Go and ensure that votes count,” Akpabio told him.
During the screening, Amupitan assured lawmakers that his leadership of INEC would be guided by transparency and accountability, adding that credible elections remain the bedrock of democracy.
“My vision is to ensure that elections in Nigeria are so transparent that even those who lose will congratulate the winners. That is the level of credibility we must achieve for national progress,” he said.
He promised to strengthen voter education, enhance logistics management, and adopt improved technological measures to prevent manipulation of results and safeguard electoral materials.
Amupitan also addressed questions about his political neutrality, firmly denying reports that he had served as legal counsel to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 Presidential Election Petition Tribunal or at the Supreme Court.
“The law reports are public and verifiable. I was not part of any legal team representing any political party or candidate,” he clarified.
Earlier, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central) moved a motion to suspend Order 12 to admit the nominee into the chamber, seconded by Senator Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South). Amupitan entered at 12:50 p.m. and presented his credentials before responding to senators’ questions.
Before the screening, Akpabio informed the chamber that Amupitan had been cleared by the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Nigeria Police Force, all confirming he had no criminal record.
President Tinubu had earlier, in a letter read by Akpabio on Tuesday, requested the Senate to screen and confirm Amupitan in accordance with Section 154(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The President’s letter read in part: “In accordance with the provisions of Section 154 subsection 1 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, I am pleased to present for confirmation by the Senate the appointment of Professor Joash Amupitan, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, as Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).”
Amupitan, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and Professor of Law, has held several academic and administrative positions in the legal and educational sectors. His confirmation marks a new phase in INEC’s leadership, with renewed public expectations for credible elections across the country.
