PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has sworn in the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, a professor, to mark the beginning of his tenure.
Amupitan took the oath of office at 1:50 pm at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, in Abuja on Thursday, October 23.
Tinubu urged him to protect the integrity of Nigeria’s elections, electoral process and strengthen the institutional capacity of INEC.
He said the commission must remain committed to the principles that underpin democracy in a complex, multifaceted society, adding the new chairman must protect the integrity of the nation’s elections and electoral process and strengthen the institutional capacity of INEC.
“As the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, your nomination to the important role and the subsequent confirmation by the Senate is a testament to your capacity and the confidence reposed in you by both the executive and the legislative arm of government. The significant achievement marked the beginning of a challenging yet rewarding journey, and I trust that you will approach your responsibilities with the highest level of integrity, dedication and patriotism.
“Our democracy has come a long way. In 25 years, we have consolidated and strengthened our democratic institutions, particularly our electoral system, through innovation and reforms. We have learned a great deal along the way and have improved significantly from where we were many years ago,” the president said.
He explained that electoral process was a vital component of democracy, safeguarding the people’s exclusive right to choose their leaders and shape their future.
According to the president, to ensure that Nigeria’s democracy continues to flourish, the integrity of electoral system must be beyond reproach.
He reiterated the imperativeness of free, fair and credible polls.
“No electoral system is flawless, but since elections are vital to a nation’s future, it is essential to continually strengthen electoral institutions, ensuring they are robust, resilient and safeguarded against official setbacks. I therefore charge you, professor, as you take on this important assignment,” noted the president.
The ICIR reported that the Senate confirmed Amupitan as INEC chairman after his screening at the Senate on October 16, where vowed to ensure INEC’s independence and pledged to undertake a comprehensive audit of the Commission’s operations, with a focus on logistics failures recorded during the 2023 general elections.
He said the review would identify operational challenges that affect the conduct of elections and help restore public confidence in the electoral system.
The formal swearing-in, where key members of the Federal Executive Council, the leadership of the National Assembly, legal luminaries, civil society stakeholders, and senior officials of INEC were in attendance, is expected to set Amupitan for resumption immediately and commence the transition process at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
INEC’s Deputy Director of Publicity, Wilfred Ifogah, on behalf of the Director of Voter Education and Publicity, shared a notice late Wednesday that Amupitan would also hold his first official meeting with directors of the commission Thursday at 1:30 p.m. in the INEC Conference Hall in its headquarters.
The ICIR reported that President Tinubu had nominated Amupitan, who worked at the University of Jos, to replace Mahmood Yakubu, whose tenure ended on Tuesday, October 7.
Born on April 25, 1967, in Ayetoro Gbede, Kogi State, Amupitan’s academic career spans more than three decades.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.