KEY POINTS
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The Senate confirmed Professor Joash Amupitan as INEC Chairman after screening.
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Security agencies, including DSS and police, cleared him for the role.
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Amupitan pledged to strengthen the use of technology in elections.
The Senate has confirmed Professor Joash Amupitan as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission after a voice vote on Thursday, completing the process of legislative approval for one of the country’s most consequential appointments.
Senate confirms Amupitan as INEC chairman
The confirmation followed a screening session in which Amupitan fielded questions from senators on his vision for credible elections, electoral reform, and the role of technology in Nigeria’s democratic process. The nominee arrived at the National Assembly complex earlier in the day, accompanied by Kogi State Governor Ahmed Ododo and other dignitaries, before being ushered into the Senate chamber around 12:50 p.m.
He gained access to the chamber after Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele moved to suspend Order 12 to allow visitors, a motion seconded by Minority Leader Abba Moro. Senate President Godswill Akpabio welcomed Amupitan, his family, and guests to the session, noting that the nominee had been vetted and cleared by national security institutions.
According to Akpabio, the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Department of State Services, and the Nigeria Police Force had all certified that Amupitan held no criminal record and was fit for public office.
Screening focuses on electoral reform
The screening began at 12:55 p.m., following Akpabio’s opening remarks outlining the procedures. Lawmakers questioned Amupitan on the credibility of elections, internal restructuring within INEC, and plans to expand the use of technology.
Following his confirmation, the professor is expected to oversee preparations for the forthcoming off-cycle governorship elections and begin laying the foundation for the 2027 general polls.
Amupitan, a senior advocate of Nigeria and former Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Jos, where he served as Dean, is known for his expertise in constitutional and international law. During Tuesday’s plenary, Akpabi read his nomination, which President Bola Tinubu had sent earlier in the week, according to Punch.
His confirmation formally ends the tenure of Professor Mahmood Yakubu and marks a new era for Nigeria’s electoral management body.
