The Nigerian Senate on Thursday confirmed Professor Joash Amupitan, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former Dean of Law at the University of Jos, as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
His confirmation followed a voice vote conducted by Senate President Godswill Akpabio after Amupitan successfully underwent screening at the National Assembly in Abuja.
Amupitan’s appointment signifies a change in leadership at INEC after Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s term. Preparations for the next off-cycle governorship polls and the general elections in 2027 are anticipated to be led by the incoming chairman. Senator Abubakar Lado, the Senate’s Presidential Adviser on National Assembly Matters, accompanied the candidate into the Senate chamber as the hearing got underway at approximately 12:50 p.m. Ahmed Ododo, the governor of Kogi State, and other dignitaries were with him.
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Minority Leader Abba Moro (PDP–Benue South) seconded Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele’s (APC–Ekiti Central) motion to suspend Order 12 in order to allow visitors to enter the chamber. Akpabio praised the nomination and stated that Amupitan had received approval from important security organizations. Before questioning started, he informed MPs, “Professor Amupitan has no criminal record, as confirmed by the Inspector-General of Police, the Department of State Services, and the Office of the National Security Adviser.”
Senators questioned Amupitan during the screening about his plan to increase the legitimacy and openness of Nigeria’s elections. He presented ideas for increased technological use, improved electoral integrity protection, and institutional transformation within INEC. Senate sources claim that in order to stop electoral fraud, the professor emphasized the importance of boosting voter confidence, improving logistics planning, and growing digital monitoring systems. His elevation as the country’s main electoral umpire was subsequently ratified by the Red Chamber through a voice vote.
In a previous nomination, President Bola Tinubu called Amupitan “a distinguished scholar and constitutional law expert with decades of service to the legal profession” to lead the electoral body. During Tuesday’s plenary session, Akpabio read the President’s letter of nomination. Amupitan, who has written numerous books on governance and human rights, is renowned for his knowledge of constitutional and international law. He was the dean of the University of Jos’s Faculty of Law before that. His legal career includes policy reform, lobbying, and academics.
Ahead of the 2027 elections, Amupitan will be in charge of voter registration, election administration, and the implementation of new voting technology in his capacity as INEC Chairman. His term starts as public trust in the electoral process is still shaky after the controversial general elections in 2023.
