President Bola Tinubu has officially sworn in Professor Joash Amupitan as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The ceremony, held on Thursday at the State House, came a week after the Senate confirmed Amupitan’s appointment on October 16 following an extensive screening exercise.
During the swearing-in, President Tinubu urged the new INEC Chairman to “protect the integrity of Nigeria’s elections and electoral process” and to strengthen the institutional capacity of the commission.
Amupitan, dressed in a white agbada and gold cap, arrived at the State House on Thursday morning, exchanging pleasantries with guests before the ceremony.
The professor of law was accompanied by several presidential aides.
The 58-year-old scholar was nominated by President Tinubu and endorsed by the National Council of State.
He succeeds Professor Mahmood Yakubu, whose tenure as INEC Chairman recently ended, becoming the sixth substantive head of the electoral body since its inception.
During his Senate screening, Amupitan was grilled on his strategies for restoring credibility to Nigeria’s elections and implementing meaningful electoral reforms.
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He told lawmakers that his leadership would prioritise strengthening the Electoral Act, resolving inconsistencies in election timelines, and enhancing public trust in the process.
“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,” he said.
Addressing speculations about his alleged links to the President’s legal team during the 2023 Presidential Election Petitions Court, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria dismissed the claims, stating unequivocally: “I never appeared before the Presidential Election Tribunal or the Supreme Court for any of the parties.”
Following his swearing-in, Professor Amupitan is expected to immediately assume duties at INEC headquarters in Abuja and commence the transition process at the commission.
