President Tinubu Swears In Professor Amupitan As INEC Chairman
President Bola Tinubu has sworn in Joash Amupitan as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. Amupitan was sworn in at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday.
Amupitan’s emergence followed the expiration of the tenure of former INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu.
During his screening at the Senate, Amupitan said his target is to have an electoral system where the loser will congratulate the winner after elections.
During his appearance before lawmakers, the 58-year-old academic outlined his plans to reform Nigeria’s electoral system, strengthen institutional independence, and rebuild public trust in the commission.
“We must conduct elections where even the loser will congratulate the winner and say, ‘You won fairly and well.’ When that happens, voters’ confidence will naturally be restored,” Amupitan told the Senate.
Amupitan, who was nominated by Tinubu and approved by the National Council of State, succeeds Professor Mahmood Yakubu, whose tenure as INEC Chairman recently ended.
His appointment makes him the sixth substantive head of the electoral body since its establishment.
Addressing questions about his alleged links to President Tinubu’s legal team during the 2023 Presidential Election Petitions Court, Amupitan firmly denied the claims.
“I never appeared before the Presidential Election Tribunal or the Supreme Court for any of the parties,” he stated, stressing his neutrality and independence.
Following his swearing-in, the new INEC Chairman is expected to immediately assume office and commence the transition process at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.